Fox of Many Masks

by HaretaSora

Naruto's life has never been easy, from being orphaned shortly after birth to being taken in for stopping a man from sexually assaulting a woman & sued for it is clear that things haven't been easy. After being put on probation, Naruto now finds himself in a new environment hoping to wait for the year to be over so he can return home only to get swept up in things - Naruto x Harem

14. Chapter 14

Fox of Many Masks

Chapter 14

Naruto: So? Why do you have wiretaps throughout Leblanc

Alibaba: Right, I'm getting to that

Alibaba: Would you accept it if I said I was doing it to look out for the man who runs it?

Naruto: Depends, does he know you or are you a weirdo who's pseudo-stalking him 'cause honestly it could go either way

Alibaba: He knows me! Geez, don't make me out to seem like a creep

Naruto: Right cause all you did was wiretap the entire cafe including the attic which was used for storage up until I got here

Alibaba: Well when you put it that way…

Alibaba: But seriously, I only do it to keep an eye on him as I'm kind of…stuck where I am and I worry about him…

Alibaba: I promise I only ever turned on and listened to the ones on the ground floor whenever I knew he was there working, once he locks up I turn them off. I swear

'Well there goes my fears of being eavesdropped on….if they're telling the truth that is….' he thought with a frown before his attention was brought back to his phone by a new message.

Alibaba: Better question is why do you have a bug detector? That's really not something a normal high schooler should have

Naruto: Don't think you are in a position to grill me on that

Naruto: But if you must know my godfather gave it to me as a 'gag tool' due to all my pranking equipment

Alibaba: Pranks? You wouldn't happen to be the culprit with the Shujin Academy smoke bomb, would you?

Naruto: And how do you know about that?

Alibaba: It was mentioned briefly in an article about a Shujin teacher named Kamoshida as a 'weird occurrence leading up to his confession'. I know you go to Shujin due to listening in on talks between you and Sojiro

Naruto: Then yes, that was me. Wasn't really a full blown prank, more just a 'distraction' I needed to help someone but I really don't wanna get into it

Alibaba: Fair, sounds interesting though as they said they found the fried components in the air vents. What other pranks have you done in the past?

Naruto honestly wasn't quite sure about this 'Alibaba' character but, even with the oddness of having the place wiretapped, his gut didn't scream at him that they were dangerous. Sure they could just be lying to him but he liked to believe his gut still worked over chat messages.

This definitely seemed the case as, the more they talked, the more things definitely seemed okay since to him they came off as someone his age and was beyond tech-savvy with what they told him of some of their hacking and computer exploits.

Alibaba: Look, I can't promise to keep this ghost account up to message you but I'll set it up where I'll get notified if you try and message me

Alibaba: For once I'm not bored and annoyed to talk to someone so you're good in my books

Naruto: Well I'm glad I'm getting such high praise. Gotta say you're definitely different than I thought you'd be, feel free to message me whenever as well

Naruto: For now it's probably best I head off to bed since I have school in the morning

Alibaba: Okay, guess I'll talk to you whenever. Bye!

'Okay….well that went a lot better than it could have given everything. At least I don't seriously have to worry about them eavesdropping as long as Sojiro isn't around' he thought with a yawn, as Morgana hopped up on the bed.

"What was that all about?" Morgana asked, clearly confused given the worry he saw on Naruto's face that seemed to quickly disappear all while messaging someone this late at night.

"I'll fill you in later as right now I'm too tired and we have that Social Studies trip to the TV Station tomorrow" he reminded the 'not-cat' as he turned off the lights and quickly flopped onto the bed before the two of them quickly passed out due to how late it was at the end of everything.

-5/26 – Thursday-

Naruto couldn't help but let out a yawn as they made their way through the TV Station, unable to hold it in any longer due to how boring all this was.

He was more or less drowning things out as the woman talked about obvious things like how commercials were sponsor-related product placements or reasons why certain shows were aired at certain times.

"Could this get any more obvious?" Ann complained with a sigh as Naruto nodded.

"Next they'll tell us that they use cameras to film the TV shows…." Naruto said, doing his best not to roll his eyes before Ann also let out a yawn while the woman continued.

Naruto though had to steady himself as someone stomped past him, completely shouldering him and nearly knocking him over as the man in the suit walked straight up to their tour guide.

"What's going on? I can't stand all this noise!" the man complained, completely ignoring he just bulldozed through someone while the woman seemed to instantly shrink a bit.

"My apologies! I'll have them leave right away" she said while Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Not like our school booked this trip and you knew there'd be a tour here" Naruto muttered, annoyed at how much of an asshole the man was being before he walked off the way he came in.

"Now then, it's time for a bit of a hands-on experience" the woman said before their class split up into a few groups.

Naruto couldn't hold back a frown as some guy came up and started to look Ann over with his intentions clear in his eyes.

"Hey there, you wanna be on TV?" the man asked, his tone making it even more blatantly obvious that he was hitting on her. "You've got a slammin' bod after all" he added with a perverted chuckle before Naruto rested an arm on Ann's shoulder and smiled warmly at him.

"Yeah, all High Schoolers dream of being on TV, hence why we signed up to come here on our trip as High Schoolers" Naruto told the man, saying the 'high schoolers' part slow and clear - not caring about subtlety in the slightest - as he was really getting annoyed.

"Just give me a call if you're interested. I'd greatly welcome a message from you day or night" the man said, not really backing off as he held out his card to Ann only for Naruto to snatch it up.

"Sweet! Wonder if I can use this to make it big on the silver screen~" Naruto said dramatically, not caring in the slightest about the annoyed look the guy was sending his way before Kawakami walked over which got the man to leave.

"I hope you aren't causing any trouble over here" Kawakami said with a bit of a warning look before Naruto shook his head.

"Nope, just helping get creepy adults to stop pestering high school girls" Naruto told her plainly as he ripped up the man's card and put it in his pocket.

"Well good because you won the raffle to meet the station's president so please behave" she told him before she looked behind her and nodded, seemingly signaling that he was ready as a kind looking man in a suit walked up shortly after.

"Ah so you must be the winner! Please, right this way as I'll guide you to our president's office" the man said, his kind tone not being a fake one like it tends to be when some people have to interact with those 'below' them.

"Our president was more than happy to meet with a student from Shujin as his daughter recently enrolled there" the man said as they walked through the TV station hallways and - after a few stops to check the man's credentials - arrived at a large elevator.

"Oh really? What year is she?" Naruto asked as the man held up one finger with a smile before using that finger to call for the elevator.

"She's a first year, so who knows you might have already met her. You'll have to see if the president's name sounds familiar" he told him before they got into it and he pressed the top floor. "Our president is a busy man but he always makes time for his employees and even, despite being promoted several years ago, still directs 'Good Morning Japan' - the show you were just at - just as he did before his promotion. I believe your class is going to be allowed to sit in the audience of tomorrow's episode so that'll be quite exciting" he explained, 'talking up' the president a bit but it wasn't in a 'suck up' way, more in a way that showed he admired the man and thought highly of him.

They didn't get much more time to talk as the elevator doors opened and they walked through a waiting room, the secretary having them stop just a moment so she could tell the president that they arrived just before a click of the doors unlocking was heard.

"This is where I will wait until you are done" the man said before he gestured for him to go in.

The office, once inside, was definitely more modest than he expected even with the massive size of the room. There was really only a large-ish desk with a computer, phone, and other things here and there along with bookshelves lining the walls up to the doorways on either side of the room.

The man sitting behind the desk definitely gave off warm vibes despite the suit he was wearing. He was clearly middle-aged with short black hair that was combed back a bit, grey thin framed glasses, and reddish-brown eyes.

"Ah hello! Naruto Uzumaki, right? Nice to meet you, my name is Shinichi Yoshizawa, please come in" Shinichi said with a smile as he motioned to one of the seats in front of his desk while Naruto was a bit surprised that - out of all the first years - he was Kasumi's father.

"Nice to meet you too. Have to say it's a bit of a 'small world' moment as the man who brought me here mentioned you have a daughter in Shujin, I actually know her and am friends with her" Naruto said, getting the man to smile a bit more before he laughed a bit.

"It is quite a small world as the Kirijo Group is this station's number one sponsor and a personal friend of my family over the years" Shinichi said, instantly putting Naruto on guard before one of the two doors in the room opened up.

"Relax, he knows because I told him" a very, very familiar voice assured him, him instantly turning around so fast his neck cracked as he stared at the source with wide eyes.

"A-Aunt Mitsuru?" he asked in shock as his aunt walked over to him with a smile.

His aunt Mitsuru was the eldest of his two aunts by a few years. She had long wavy red hair that was a shade different than his with bangs that covered her left eye and definitely had a 'mature beauty' vibe to her alongside screaming 'power' naturally. Her outfit helped on both accounts, it consisting of just about knee high black boots, black tights, a red pencil skirt that stopped just a bit before her knees with a slight slit up the side, and a black trench coat styled jacket minus the trench coat length with a white frilly shirt peeking out underneath.

Her reddish brown eye, while naturally serious, always had warmth in it and as she smiled at him he couldn't help but rush over to her, not even caring that someone else was in the room, before giving her a hug that she was more than happy to return.

"It's so nice to see you Aunt Mitsuru" he told her, getting a soft chuckle from her as she rubbed his back.

Mitsuru was an incredibly busy person, the CEO of one of the world's largest companies called the Kirijo Group that was pretty much involved in almost every aspect of daily life and a bit more. Because of it his aunt was also very protective of her privacy when it came to those outside of her circle of friends and family.

"And it's always nice to see you but don't forget, we aren't alone" she reminded him, getting him to quickly pull away and blush a bit as he turned around to apologize only for Shinichi to wave him off.

"Don't worry about it as you 'won' the raffle to meet me to give you two time to talk" he revealed, Naruto not that surprised as it definitely was something he could see his aunt doing - especially with eyes on him due to everything. "As I said, the Kirijo Group is close with this station so when the CEO asked if I could set this up I agreed as honestly this helps me take a break as well" he added with a chuckle before motioning to the room Mitsuru had just come out of.

"Please, use my personal meeting room to catch up. Your class is booked for another hour or two so you don't have to rush" Shinichi assured them before Mitsuru smiled and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Thank you again for this as well as your discretion about my visit" Mitsuru thanked only for Shinichi to wave her off with a smile.

"I understand you value your privacy greatly due to how influential and powerful your company is, you've helped me and my family during these….difficult times so I owe you far more than this. Please enjoy catching up with your nephew" he assured her again before waving them off with his hands, chuckling a bit as Mitsuru smiled and led Naruto away.

Once he was in the room he was quickly wrapped in another hug, this one much stronger than his aunt's and a very familiar 'coolness' to it.

"I am so happy to see you again, have you been well?" a familiar voice said, her tone as level as always before Mitsuru tapped her arm with a chuckle.

"Aegis, you are hugging him a bit too tight" Mitsuru told her, getting her to let go with a confused head tilt as she looked at Naruto who was panting a bit now that he was able to breathe.

The woman who nearly crushed him with her strength was Aegis and, as odd as it sounded, she was an android created by the Kirijo Group in the past. Mitsuru never really went into detail about it and honestly he knew he wouldn't be able to understand any of it so he accepted it and more saw Aegis as a family friend.

Due to being an android, despite the years that have passed, Aegis always looked the same - other than some slight technology upgrades - being about a head shorter than him with short blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore what looked like black headphones that glowed light blue along with a white and black dress that had light blue accents and a large blue bow.

There were more parts of her that made her a bit more 'robotic' as her shoulders and biceps were made of sleek glass touch screen type material with some white cloth sleeves between her shoulders and her forearms which were made of the same material with her legs being pure white with black metal almost 'nub' shaped feet.(*1)

"I apologize, I believe I just missed him" Aegis plainly said as Naruto chuckled a bit, this being a very common scene with Aegis. Whenever either he visited Mitsuru or she visited him Aegis, along with one someone else who didn't seem to be here, were his playmates with Aegis especially being his 'shadow' as Mitsuru put it given she was never far away from him.

Seeing the both of them after so long definitely made him realize just how much he missed them both.

"I missed you too Aegis" he assured her, giving her a hug of his own that Aegis returned - more gently this time - before his aunt put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come sit down Naruto, we have a loooot to talk about" Mitsuru said as she sat down on a couch that was in the room, inviting him to do the same as her tone told him that while she wasn't upset or angry she definitely wasn't happy.

"Well, I take it that you saw the video?..." he asked, getting a simple nod from Mitsuru as Aegis nodded as well as she stood beside Mitsuru.

"We did and I was quite worried after I found no records of you being admitted to the hospital" Aegis chided with Mitsuru just looking at him in slight exasperation.

"I did get treated but not in a hospital, I was more worried about my friend getting treated first. I talked to Tsunade about this already so you don't have to worry" he assured them before his aunt sighed and nodded.

"It worried us a lot but we knew if you weren't admitted then you were most likely getting treatment elsewhere like you said and your call helped ease our worries. Though I still don't like the sight of my nephew leaping out of a building….though at least it was for a good cause and not out of recklessness" Mitsuru said as she reached forward to teasingly pinch his cheek.

"Your school also worries me, from the gym teacher to the principal as well as who knows how many others who were complicit in Kamoshida's actions…." she muttered a bit before Naruto sighed and nodded along.

"Trust me, it worries me too but the Principal is going to be losing his lawsuit soon and I feel the teachers who were on his side will take that as a sign that they don't have the power they once did" he assured her before she looked over to Aegis and nodded just before Naruto's phone chimed.

"I had Aegis send you her contact info, given she is always by my side it'll make things easier. I want you to message her if anything comes up regarding Shujin or if you need help. Of course you can message and call me as well but in emergencies Aegis can literally respond in an instant and relay messages" she explained which made sense given all that Aegis was equipped with.

"I'll be in this area until your probation ends working with the Tokyo branch, Jiraiya agreed that it was for the best since this way I can help him - and most importantly you - easier" she assured him, that seriously easing a lot of his worries though not much in terms of things regarding the Metaverse - but then again he's got that underwraps and he doubted she'd believe something as crazy as Palaces and Shadows….

"Thanks Aunt Mitsuru, that really helps a lot" he said with a smile before her phone chimed, the look on her face as she read the message showing she was annoyed. "Have to go back to work?" he asked, getting a nod from her.

"Annoyingly yes, the branch needs my authorization for some projects and it can't be done over the phone. I thought I set aside enough time but it seems I'm needed earlier than expected…." she complained before she stood up and pinched the bridge of her nose a bit.

"It's okay, I know you're busy and I am on a school trip" he reminded her as he stood up as well and checked the time on his phone, thankful that not too much time had passed without them noticing it.

"Now that I have Aegis' number and know that you're going to be in the area I'll keep in touch and feel free to message me whenever as well" he told her with a smile, getting a nod from her before she pulled him in for a hug.

"Right and you try and keep out of trouble" she reminded him, getting a chuckle as he hugged her back only for him to get caught in a hug by Aegis the second they pulled apart.

"And I will also keep in touch while helping Mitsuru so please talk to me whenever you want" Aegis said as he nodded and hugged her back.

It kinda stung to have to leave them given he hadn't seen them in so long - even before his situation happened - but he knew he'd be able to see them again eventually so it wasn't too bad in the end. As he left Shinichi seemed to be busy on the phone but still was able to give a smile and a wave as Naruto left.

As he made his way back to the floor his class was visiting, Ryuji messaged him that they were on break and, by his messages, Ryuji was definitely upset about something with his body language screaming it as he looked seriously pissed off.

"You okay man? What's up?" Naruto asked as Ryuji quickly turned towards him with a glare, although it was obvious that the glare itself wasn't targeted at him and more just due to Ryuji being upset.

"I'm so pissed off dude! While you were off I was made into a work horse, carrying and moving wires for the prick who was hitting on Ann! We're supposed to be guests so why the hell do I gotta be doin' manual labor!? This is bullshit! Goin' to the bathroom didn't even make me feel better!" Ryuji complained, getting seriously heated and pissed off although the bathroom comment confused Naruto a bit.

"Quiet down, will you?" Ann scolded as she turned the corner and walked towards them before sighing a bit. "I get how you feel though….It sucked for the both of us" she added which Naruto figured she continued to get harassed and hit on by skeevy guys.

"We gotta do this tomorrow too?" Ryuji asked before Morgana popped out of his bag.

"No flaking out Ryuji!" he reminded him while Naruto understood his annoyance.

"I think tomorrow we are mainly just sitting in on an airing of a show so there won't be any more of that stuff I don't think" he said, getting a relieved sigh from Ryuji.

"Thank god as I don't think I could've handled anymore of this" he said with an exhausted tone before Ann smiled and perked up a bit.

"That reminds me, we get to go straight home after this today. We don't spend much time in this area so why don't we relax and check out some shops beforehand? I promised Shiho I'd get her something so why not go together?" Ann suggested with a smile with Morgana standing up even higher on Naruto's shoulder.

"Ooh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!" Morgana excitedly asked, Naruto unable to keep from laughing a bit due to how much he was acting like an 'excited little kid'. "It looked delicious! What was that?" he asked, looking at Ryuji and Ann given Naruto wasn't from around these parts.

"Oh! You mean Dome Town? The round part is a baseball stadium and all along the outside they've got an amusement park" he explained before Ann nodded with a smile.

"It's right in the middle of a business area but they got some pretty hardcore rides there too" she told him, getting a determined look in Morgana's eyes.

"All right, let's go! I'll show you just how courageous I am!" Morgana declared while Naruto couldn't help but frown a bit.

"I'm not sure I can bring my bag on any rides" Naruto told him, Ryuji nodding along in agreement as Naruto wasn't sure how that'd even potentially work as normally they check your bag before you get on the ride

"Plus going on a scary ride doesn't really prove any kind of courage" Ann told him, somewhat deflating him a bit.

"Plus even if you were to hide in the bag and we were to sneak it on you'd totally puke from being stuck in there" Ryuji pointed out with a chuckle. "But yeah, let's go to Dome Town! I'm really feelin' it now!" he said as Ann nodded along excitedly.

"Me too! My stomach's ready for roller coasters!" Ann declared, Naruto chuckling at just how deflated and nervous Morgana was now due to the prospect of puking before the 'not-cat' very quickly hid in the bag just as someone turned the corner.

The guy was their age with shaggy neck length brown hair and reddish brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a tan peacoat with black buttons, a white button up shirt with striped black and white tie, black pants, black gloves, and black loafers while he held a silver suitcase in hand.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?" the teen asked, getting Ann and Ryuji to turn around before Ryuji nodded.

"Yeah, whaddya want?" he asked a bit bluntly, though that was pretty much Ryuji, before the teen walked up to them.

"I happened to be passing by so it seemed polite to greet you. We'll be filming together tomorrow after all" he told them before smiling. "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi" he introduced as Naruto remembered the name 'Akechi' as the name of the other detective prince back from when he talked with Naoto on the roof.

"Filming? What, you a celebrity?" Ryuji asked as Ann seemingly was trying to remember Akechi's name.

"Only to the extent of appearing on TV a couple of times" Akechi explained to downplay it before Ann was surprised that he had been on TV a few times before he pulled out his phone. "My apologies, I truly was just passing by so I must be going as there's a briefing before tomorrow's recording that I have to attend" he apologized to them before he looked around at them and smiled a bit.

"So, you're going to go have cake now? I missed lunch today so I'm quite hungry myself" he told them with a bit of a chuckle which confused them.

"Cake? What're you talkin' about?" Ryuji asked as they hadn't been talking about cake.

"Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes, no matter. Welp, see you tomorrow" he apologized before he walked off, Naruto frowning as something seemed off about what he said and how he had seemingly overheard them talking given the 'pancakes' comment was very early on in their conversation.

Plus the mere mention of cakes and pancakes made him seriously feel like something was up….

'Cake? Pancakes? Wait….the only one who mentioned pancakes was-!' Naruto thought, his eyes widening in shock before he felt a clawed hand grab his shoulder.

"Partner, you've uncovered knowledge that an unknown and potential danger did not mean to reveal - a powerful ace up your sleeve" Arsène explained to him, Naruto looking over to the side to see his partner looking over at him from behind as he was referencing how if Akechi could hear Morgana's voice then that meant that not only had Akechi been to the Metaverse but, at some point in time, heard Morgana talk.

"The desire to tell your companions is strong and understandable but to do so would cause panic and would show your hand. While you aren't one for hiding facts and findings from your allies, this is one time I demand you must for such knowledge very well might save your life" he added, his tone being beyond serious before Naruto was 'snapped out of it' by Ann waving her hand in front of his face.(*2)

"Naruto!? You okay?" Ann asked, getting him to look at her before looking back to where Arsène just was a second ago only to see he had disappeared.

"Yeah I'm fine, sorry, Arsène was talking to me about something. Sorry, what were you guys saying?" Naruto muttered before he shook his head, the others a bit worried since they knew their Personas really only chimed in when it was important.

Then again they also didn't know how things went when it came to him and his 'Wild Card' Persona.

"We were just saying how we're heading to Dome Town….You sure you're okay?" she asked, a bit unsure before he nodded with a smile.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Let's go as I'm excited for some rides" Naruto assured them, getting them to accept it before they headed off to Suidobashi which was where Dome Town was located, all while ignoring the worried cries from Morgana about avoiding the puke-inducing rides.

-Suidobashi-

"I feel like I'm gonna puke...For real, my stomach's churnin'..." Ryuji groaned out after a few hours of enjoying Dome Town and the rides, his tone making it clear he meant it as it sounded like he was moments away from puking.

"This is why I spoke against it" Morgana said as he chimed in, Naruto rolling his eyes at the 'not-cat'.

"As if you were ever going to ride anything with us Morgana, they don't allow bags or cats on the rides" Naruto told him with a shake of his head, getting him to quiet up a little bit.

"Y-Yeah, usin' your cathood as an excuse...only at times like this" Ryuji continued to groan out before Ann chuckled.

"Anyway, are you guys feeling hungry? How about some pancakes?" Ann asked, laughing a bit more at Ryuji's reaction to the mention of food.

"I think now's not the time but we have tomorrow so we can hang out more here then" Naruto reminded them before he snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "On the topic of food I actually wanted to ask you guys about something! But first let me call Shiho" he said, getting their attention before he called Shiho, waiting for her to answer before continuing.

"So, you know how we celebrated after Kamoshida at the buffet? I was thinking maybe we could celebrate for Madarame as well, what do you guys think?" he asked since it was somewhat of a tradition he was hoping to start.

"That actually sounds fun! At least I think so" Shiho said as he looked to the others to see them clearly down for it as well.

"What do you have in mind and when cause I am so down for it!" Ryuji said with an excited smile as Ann nodded along.

"I was maybe thinking we could do a hotpot at my place, the idea kind of just came to me a few days ago. I was thinking we could have it after school Saturday if that works well with you all" he suggested, noticing Ann's hesitant look.

"Are you sure Boss will allow it?" Ann asked since not only was his room in a cafe but also in an attic.

"Boss?" Shiho asked, confused as Ann made it out to seem like Naruto had a part-time job.

"Oh not his literal boss, that's just what we call the guy who owns the cafe that Naruto lives in. He's a nice guy but it is his place so I'm not sure if he'll be okay to shut it down for us" Ann explained while Naruto nodded along as he already knew about such a roadblock.

"I think he'll be okay with it, he's been really understanding with me. I'll talk to him today about it, I just wanted to know if you all were down for it before bringing it up to him" he explained, getting a big smile from Ryuji despite his slight nausea from the rides.

"It might not be as glamorous as a buffet but a hotpot sounds amazing! Let us know what Boss says!" Ryuji said, getting a nod of agreement from Ann and an affirmative noise from Shiho before - due to how late it was and how nauseous Ryuji was - they all headed home.

-Yongen Jaya-

As he got home he felt his hot pot plan had a chance of succeeding already with how Sojiro looked to be in a good mood as he sat at one of the counter seats as he worked on a crossword puzzle.

"Hey, someone's back late" he teased as Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah sorry, hung out with Ann and Ryuji in Suidobashi and rode some rides after the social studies trip to the TV station" he explained, getting a smile from Sojiro as he closed the magazine.

"Well I'm glad you are able to make friends like those two, they don't seem like bad kids to hang around given how they seemed to worry about you when you got injured" Sojiro said with his tone showing he was actually sort of happy that things were seemingly working out for him.

"Actually, on the topic of my friends, I was wondering if I could invite them over Saturday after school for a hot pot or something?" he asked, getting a raised eyebrow from Sojiro. "It's just we haven't really all been able to hang out together and relax since Shiho, the girl I saved, changed schools and I thought it'd be nice. All we need is a pot and permission to use the portable stove you have up in storage, we'll buy the food" Naruto assured him as they had more than enough money to spend on some food due to Mementos and the Palaces.

Though, as Sojiro seemingly thought it over in silence, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a touch worried about if he'd actually allow it.

"You know what? Sure, why not. You've been on good behavior and I feel I'd be a bit heartless to turn it down" Sojiro said with a chuckle as he stood up. "I'll find the pot for you to use tomorrow and set it aside. For now though I'm heading home so don't stay up too late and be sure to lock up" he told him, getting a little salute before he left for home with Naruto pulling out his phone the second he left.

Naruto: Boss said it's all good, just gotta buy the food ourselves - obviously

Ryuji: Sweet! I'll go buy it after he get there as I think I remember seeing a store literally right around the corner from your place

Ann: I'll come with you or else you might get only meat

Shiho: Guess I can help you set up if you don't have it already set up by then

Naruto: Sounds like a plan! Looking forward to it but for now I think I'm just gonna relax after the social studies trip alongside Suidobashi

Ryuji: Feel you there….still feel a bit queasy….

Shiho: Night then

Ann: Yeah, see you guys tomorrow

With that squared away things it felt a bit exciting as it was always nice to have things to look forward to, especially a relaxing get together like this.

He was a bit confused as his phone chimed again, thinking one of them forgot something but, as he saw who it was he couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

Alibaba: A hotpot huh? Sounds nice, hope you have fun

Alibaba: And don't worry, I already turned it all off since Sojiro left

Naruto: Thanks and I wasn't worried so you don't have to reassure me every time

Naruto: But I guess thanks for doing so

Alibaba: No problem, I gotta go though, dungeons to raid! Ttyl

Naruto: Have fun, see ya

He honestly was being truthful when he told them he wasn't worried, personally feeling they were true when they told him they only listened when Sojiro was around but it definitely helped to hear them reassure him.

His phone seemed to be very popular tonight as he got yet another message, surprisingly this one being from Kawakami which he didn't expect given the social studies trip.

Kawakami: Look, I know today is a busy day but I wouldn't oppose being requested tonight

Kawakami: I don't usually work on days like these but I kind of have to right now so I called a few regulars with you being the most 'sure case'

Kawakami: But seriously, don't feel pressured to call me as I know you are probably tired from everything

Naruto couldn't help but find her mix of almost begging to be requested and reassuring him that he didn't need to call for her to be quite odd but also showed how much she needed this. After all, there was no way she would do this during a busy school thing like the social studies trip if she didn't really need it.

Naruto: It's all good, I'll call and you can use the time to rest like last time. Just give me a second

Kawakami: Thanks...Really means a lot...

The call to the maid service was easy as always, Naruto finding the slight surprise in the man's tone when he asked for Becky to be annoying but in the end he placed the request and it didn't take long for Kawakami to show up.

Just from looking at her he could tell she was exhausted and the store bag with some cup ramen in it made him feel that was going to be her dinner….

"Come on in, I'll start up the coffee and I guess boil the water for the ramen?" he suggested, getting a weak and thankful smile from her.

"I'm sorry….Not only did I ask you to request me but I'm pretty much making you do all the work" Kawakami tried to apologize before he waved her off.

"No need to apologize, I told you last time I'd rather you use this time to relax than to overwork yourself and heating up water alongside making coffee like I already planned to do isn't anything extra" he assured her which got another smile, one that was much less 'tired', from her before she made her way upstairs.

"So much for maid service" Morgana complained as he hopped up on one of the seats.

"Don't be like that Morgana, she isn't being like this to take advantage of things so no need to complain about it" he scolded, getting a nod from the 'not-cat' who seemed to at least be sorry for his comment a bit.

The coffee and water didn't take long as he was easily able to carry both cups with one hand and hold the kettle of water with the other while making it up the stairs safely due to having good balance and being rather good at walking slowly. It also helped that he had experience in the past carrying a bunch of cups for friends whenever they came over.

"You could've asked for help" Kawakami said as she sat up on his bed, her tone showing she felt bad before he set everything down and started on the noodles.

"It's fine Kawakami, rather you rest given you look like you need it" he told her, getting a sigh from her as she laid back down with a frown.

"Do I look that bad?" she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye as he nodded with a frown of his own.

"Seriously, I know you are doing this for your sister but you won't be able to help her if you drive yourself to the hospital for exhaustion" he warned her as he might not believe the 'sister' story but whatever reason she was doing this wouldn't get any better or closer to resolving if she ended up at that point.

Her lack of reply worried him a bit but even then he could see she knew he was right by the look in her eyes that showed it.

"Enough about that, I'll have the instant-ramen done soon, drink your coffee if you want or just relax for a bit - up to you since this is your time to rest" Naruto told her as he set a timer for the ramen and put her coffee on a chair he put next to the bed before he plopped down on the couch.

"Thanks, with everything going on with the Principal's ridiculous request for info on the Phantom Thieves and his lawsuit not going too well apparently it makes the life of a teacher beyond hectic. That's not even adding on the drama going on in Shibuya…." she said, muttering the last part more to herself as Naruto could only imagine how messy things were for the teachers with all this stuff going on.

"You mean the students being extorted and threatened?" Naruto asked, getting a surprised look from Kawakami as she, very quickly, sat up before he shook his head. "I know because I talked with Makoto and Naoto about it, I'm not being targeted so don't worry" he quickly assured her which got instant relief from her as she laid back down.

"Then you know that, rather than actually do anything he's convinced the Phantom Thieves are behind it….I swear sometimes I just wish he'd get arrested already…." Kawakami complained as she drank some coffee.

"Well Shiho's told me it's not going well for him so we can only hope it's soon" he said with a chuckle, getting a smile from her before the timer went off.

"Well that's good to hear at least….god knows it'll be a weight off our backs" Kawakami said with a sigh as she got up and joined him at the table. "How is Suzui by the way?" she asked as she and a few of the other teachers who weren't Kamoshida's followers were worried about her.

"She's doing good, she has Ann, her mothers, and me by her side. She still is working through stuff but that's to be expected and is making progress with help" he told her which got a warm smile from her.

"I'm glad she has people to help her, especially someone who is so seemingly happy to help others. Why is that exactly?" she asked, getting a raised eyebrow as he ate some of the instant ramen.

"Why not?" Naruto told her with a shrug before he set down his ramen. "I mean, if I'm able to help people in the state I'm in then why shouldn't I, even if it's just letting them nap and relax for two hours" he explained as, at least to him, it just seemed pretty obvious.

Sure he might be in a rather poor situation with his parole and everything but if he was still able to help out in whatever way then why not?

"I mean sure you offered to let me slack off in class but I would've agreed to help you out even without that" he added with another shrug of his shoulders which only got a chuckle and a shake of her head in disbelief from his response.

"You definitely aren't like any normal Shujin students, they most likely would've tried blackmailing me for their benefit if they had found out about all of this" Kawakami told him as she motioned to her maid dress.

"Well people here for the most part - not saying all - seem to be focused on what they can do to pad their resumes so to speak to get the upper hand in life so I'm glad not to be like them" Naruto said with a flat tone, definitely not fond of how people were here for the most part but glad he was surrounding himself with some of the outliers and exceptions.

If he hadn't then he seriously felt he wouldn't be able to handle the bullshit surrounding that school.

"But seriously, enjoy your ramen and coffee and nap if you want as I'm probably just going to do my work and tinker with other stuff I need to do" he told her, reassuring her that this was still her time to relax as they finished the ramen and Kawakami drinking some of the coffee before she decided to lay back down and rest.

He could tell just how tired she was by the fact that she seemed to have passed out mere minutes after laying down. She was so exhausted she didn't even care about taking her shoes off, though he did at least put a blanket on her.

"I know you want to help her but isn't paying her to basically sleep a bit of a rip off? I mean, even you don't believe her 'sick sister' story, do you? She's definitely taking advantage of you" Morgana asked as he looked over at the sleeping Kawakami before Naruto sighed.

"Morgana, you gotta have some faith in people. Sure I don't believe her 'sick sister' story but even I can tell that's just something she made up to protect the real serious reason she's pushing herself this far" Naruto said as he looked over and frowned at his exhausted teacher. "If she was really trying to take advantage of me I don't think it'd involve pushing herself to her limits with this second job. So whatever the reason it's serious since it's making her do all of this" he told the 'not-cat' getting a bit of a nod from him to show he understood and thankfully dropped the topic and allowed Naruto to get back to his schoolwork.

Though, as much as he would've liked for her to sleep for most of the two hours he paid for, she was annoyingly woken up by her phone. It was clear by the look on her face that wasn't from her job due to how she instantly sat up and got off the bed before walking to the other side of his room to answer.

"Hello?" she answered only to flinch a few moments later at whatever the other side told her. "What!? How much!? I can't…" she started to insist before stopping, most likely being interrupted before she sighed.

"Yes but…! T-That's true…Sure…." she said, clearly being talked over and not being able to get a word edgewise before nodding defeatedly. "Yes...Yes, I understand...Yes, it's my responsibility after all…" she told them before finally hanging up, looking a bit nervous as she turned around and walked back over.

"Did you happen to hear any of that?" Kawakami asked with a bit of a forced laugh as she rubbed her arm. "Yeah I'm just a little behind on my sister's medical bills, that's all…" she told him, her delivery being weak and her knowing it. "Apparently it's some crazy difficult to cure rare disease so there's a lot of fees and extra charges!" she added, trying her best to make it seem more 'real'.

"Sorry to hear it's so expensive. I'll try and request you more but just try not to overdo things and push yourself too far to the point you wind up at the hospital. You won't be able to help her that way and you'll just be damaging yourself" Naruto told her since the last thing he wanted was to see her pushed to the point of exhaustion from overworking herself.

"I shouldn't be relying on you so much, just forget about it" she tried to tell him with a sigh before he shook his head.

"Sorry, not gonna happen. I want to help so where's the harm in paying a bit to give you time to rest and recover?" he asked, looking over to her and seeing her already sighing as she knew he wasn't going to back down.

"What am I going to do with you…." she said with another sigh as she shook her head in exasperation. "Then I guess you can feel free to call me when you want or when I message you" she added, showing she had somewhat given up on trying to stop him.

"In fact, feel free to call me to do housework, it doesn't have to be through the maid service. I live close by so I can stop over whenever you need me and if your friends suddenly come over I can always leave out the back way" she told him as she dusted off her dress only to frown a bit as she looked at him. "To be honest, I've been worried that you might not be able to cook or do laundry cause you're pretty much on your own here…" she added, showing her worry which made him smile alongside the ping he felt inside his chest.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind if I need some help as, despite not being one to bite the hand that feeds me, but curry and coffee are not something I can quite live off of" he admitted, getting a sigh from her as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, please call me if you want me to cook you something as no matter how good it is it's not something you should be having every day so please, call if you need help making something" she told him before she checked her watch, this time frowning at the time.

"Have to go?" he asked, getting a nod from her as he got up to at least walk her to the door.

"Don't worry, I can see myself out so you can keep working on your schoolwork. Don't stay up too late and I'll see you at school tomorrow" she told him with a smile, stopping him from going with her as she started to walk out.

Though, due to them being the only ones here, he was able to hear her mutter to herself about bugging her boss for more shifts and needing to be requested more which only made him frown.

He really didn't want to see her push herself into a hospital bed due to exhaustion and overworking herself….

Knowing he couldn't do anything about it really, at least not right now, he did his best to focus on his work before eventually locking up and starting to get ready for bed. Part way through though his phone rang with the 'check up' call from Kawakami.

"Oh, is this Master? Thank you for using our service today! Wasn't my meal so delicious? Could you taste all the love I put into it?" Kawakami said in her usual 'Becky' tone that she seemingly had to use when in her workplace. "But you can't just eat cup noodles, right? You need balanced nutrients! Maybe next time you can try some of my 'home-maid' cooking instead?" she suggested, him ever so slightly hearing a falter in her tone at the pun that he felt she was more or less forced to say to advertise the service.

"Seriously though, you're still young so you really need to eat properly" she said as she dropped the 'Becky' act to show how serious she was about it and concerned about it.

"Thanks Kawakami, I definitely know that and actually I'm having a hot pot on Saturday with everyone so that's at least one solid meal" he assured her before she sighed a bit.

"Well that's a start but I'm serious about my offer. If you need a meal I can come over to make you something" she reminded him, him almost feeling her 'stare down' from over the phone which got him to smile.

"I know and I will keep that in mind if I need it. I'll talk to my guardian about allowing me to maybe store food I buy on my own in the fridge and if I can use the stove as long as I clean up afterwards" he suggested as it'd make things easier and give him a bit more 'self sufficiency'.

"That'd definitely help out...I mean - I can't wait to cook you a ton of meals full of love~!" she said, quickly changing back into her 'Becky' tone to show that her boss probably had come back before she let out a sigh once he seemingly left. "I know me pestering you is annoying but given everything, if you are going to waste money on me then I figure you should be able to afford good meals….well, enough of that for now. I'll see you tomorrow and I hope you'll request me again sometime! Bye-byeeeee~!" she finished off as 'Becky' before hanging up while he was only able to shake his head with a bit of a sigh at how her 'Becky' act was.

Though the idea of home cooked meals did sound nice….

'Wonder if I can find some easy and simple recipes online so she doesn't have to work too hard and we both get some tasty food?' he thought to himself as he made a mental note to look those up later before he finished getting ready for bed so he'd get a good amount of sleep for tomorrow.

Afterall, they were going to be sitting in on a show and the last thing he wanted was to pass out in the audience.

-5/27 – Friday-

Once they arrived at the station they were pretty much immediately put into the audience for the show's taping. He thankfully was able to have Ryuji and Ann in his row before the show had started.

The show itself was just as it was when watching it on TV, nothing really 'out there' or different as it went on before cutting to commercial. After that it seemed they were busy setting up the next segment of the show which, if he remembered correctly from seeing it a few times when it was on at LeBlanc, was an interview segment.

"Mr. Akechi's coming on!" one of the ADs called out before they watched as the guy from yesterday walked out onto the stage, getting met with the squeals and cheers of the girls around them sans Ann.

"Ain't that the guy from yesterday?" Ryuji asked in surprise as Akechi sat down on the couch on the set, Ryuji seemingly not having taken Akechi's comments about appearing on TV seriously.

"Cutting back from commercial!" the AD called out before they started to count down from seven, going silent for the '3, 2, 1'.

"And now, onto the 'Hottest Meet-and-Greet' segment of our show! After his last appearance was so well received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It's the highschool detective Goro Akechi!" the female host said with a warm tone and a soft smile as she introduced Akechi which only got more squeals and cheers from the girls while he gave a simple hello.

"Thank you for taking time to join us today, Akechi. Your popularity is stunning" the male host said as Akechi chuckled a bit.

"Even I've found it to be quite a surprise. It is a bit embarrassing though" Akechi said, showing off a bit of 'bashfulness' at the praise.

"Moving along, we've been told there's a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?" the female host asked as Akechi nodded and gained a 'serious' tint to his eyes.

"Ah yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame" Akechi revealed while Naruto noticed Ryuji tense up ever so slightly and Morgana twitch in his bag as well.

"There it is! All of this phantom thief excitement has caught your attention too, Akechi!" the male host said excitedly, hoping to hear any 'juicy' info. "Allow me to be blunt for just a second but what do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?" the host asked before Akechi smiled warmly.

"If they truly are heroes of justice I sincerely hope they exist" Akechi replied, surprising the host a bit with his answer.

"Oh! So you don't deny the possibility that they're real?" the host asked with Akechi nodding, a smile still on his face.

"I may not seem like it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering" he said which got laughter from the crowd before Naruto noticed his expression turned serious.

"But, hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real….I believe they should be tried in a court of law" he declared, his tone getting the laughter to stop as the male host looked at him in slight surprise.

Naruto didn't need to look over at his friends to know they most likely flinched at the statement.

"That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes?" the male host asked, confused and curious at the rather bold statement. "Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping the victims abandon their evil ways" he added as Akechi merely nodded, his expression turning even more serious.

"What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However they are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice, more importantly you should never forcefully change a person's heart" Akechi declared as he denounced the Phantom Thieves' actions.

"You have a point, these people are calling themselves the 'Phantom Thieves' after all" the male host admitted with a smile. "Amazing as always Akechi! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!" he all but declared, Naruto resisting the powerful urge to roll his eyes as the girls in the crowd gushed over Akechi.

"I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't exist. If that were the case, I'd summarize it into a report as a school project" he joked, getting laughs from the crowd before the female host clapped her hands with a smile to get the attention on her for a moment.

"Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi about the Phantom Thieves! First, please press your button if you think the Phantom Thieves exist!" she instructed, referring to the small devices they handed them before the show so they could do 'polling' like this.

As the votes came in the screen between Akechi and the male host turned on, the numbers on it randomly changing as it collected votes before finishing up at '17'.

"About 30% or so? What are your thoughts, Akechi?" the host asked as Akechi actually looked surprised.

"I'm a bit surprised. That's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves' actions" Akechi asked before the female host nodded and stood up, bringing a microphone with her as she walked through the audience.

Naruto found himself questioning his luck as she stopped in front of him, seemingly deciding he'd be the one to ask.

"All right, let's try asking this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves if they were real?" she asked before holding the microphone out towards him.

"I think they are helping save those who are being abused by people in positions of power who never would have stopped their actions on their own" Naruto told them as he looked past the female host and off at Akechi. "The Thieves were able to somehow get two criminals who never would have stopped their terrible crimes and get them to turn themselves in so I don't quite see it as coercion and more them 'reawakening' the conscience in both of them" he added, hoping they didn't mind him going a bit further with their question and taking up some more air time.

"You say that with such firmness and confidence..." Akechi said with a calm look as the host nodded.

"This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi" the host added, getting a nod from Akechi as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Indeed, it's rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement...In that case, there's one more question I'd like to ask….If someone close to you, for example, your friend next to you….if his heart suddenly changed, wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?" he asked with Naruto shaking his head calmly.

"Not at all, the Phantom Thieves only target criminals as shown by Kamoshida and Madarame" Naruto rebutted, Akechi merely nodding.

"I see, but how can you be so sure? Whether the Thieves' actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand" Akechi said, somewhat dismissing his points as the female host returned to the set.

"Hm? What do you mean?" the male host asked, curious about what he was getting at.

"The matter of how they change people's hearts. If they honestly possess that ability….it could be used for more than extracting confessions. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods" Akechi theorized while the male host nodded along.

"You know, you're absolutely right" the host praised, Naruto once again resisting the urge to roll his eyes, before Akechi waved him off a bit.

"Oh please, don't misunderstand. This is all purely hypothetical. It is only if people who can use such a power truly exist. Either way though, this cannot be ignored" he explained as his tone slowly started to become serious again. "The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives" he added, getting gasps and noises of shock from the crowd as if he just dropped some kind of bombshell.

Seems like he was having to resist a lot of eye rolling today….

"To be honest, I'm already working alongside the police to help sort out this matter" he revealed before the show transitioned to other topics, all of which Naruto more or less phased out as he found himself thinking things over.

'Him getting involved with the police isn't a surprise, he is a detective in the same vein as Naoto and they both often work for the police….I just don't like how he's trying to insinuate or suggest we might be responsible for the Mental Breakdowns' Naruto thought to himself as he rubbed his chin in thought.

He knew he couldn't quite voice his concerns too much to the others, remembering Arséne's warning after the pancake incident.

While he wasn't sure of Akechi's role, the mere fact that the 'detective prince' was aware of the meta-verse, been to it, and had somehow heard Morgana's voice made him a danger with the degree varying on said role.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the show ended and everyone started getting up, the three of them stepping off to the side as others walked off.

"He made it sound like we're the baddies….I don't like it" Ryuji grumbled as Ann frowned and nodded.

"That stuff about the police….Do you think it's for real?" Ann asked, looking at him given he was the only one who was close to a 'detective prince', even if Naoto disliked being called one.

"Naoto hasn't ever mentioned working alongside the police on Phantom Thief stuff but I've never asked and he's only ever mentioned them in regards to wanting my thoughts on them. It wouldn't surprise me if one, or both, detective princes were working with the police on stuff about them" Naruto told her as he did his best to not bring up stuff unless he did it on his own and recently they were more caught up with stuff regarding the principal.

"He can say whatever he wants, the justice of it all is something we can decide for ourselves" Morgana reminded them as Naruto nodded.

"He's right, don't let one TV pretty boy and an overly fanboy-ish tv host shake things up" Naruto added, seemingly getting the both of them to relax with a nod from them both before Ryuji sighed.

"Sorry, I gotta take a leak. Can you guys wait here? I'll be right back" he told them, getting a sigh from Ann as he hurried off.

"And there goes the serious mood in the stupidest way….I'm gonna keep going, okay?" Ann said, checking to see if he was fine with it before he nodded.

"Yeah that's fine, I'll wait for Ryuji so you're all good" he assured her, leaning against the wall behind him a bit as she walked off.

"Oh, it's you!" a newly familiar voice spoke out, Naruto turning to see Akechi walking over to him. "I'm glad I found you, I wanted to thank you in person. To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis" he added which only confused Naruto a bit.

"Are you thanking me for being on the opposite side of you?" Naruto asked while he never understood why people felt the urge to use fancy words as, more often than not, it was just to make themselves sound smarter.

"Yes, my apologies. I essentially meant that our discussion was quite meaningful. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier" Akechi said with a smile before it faltered a bit. "Adults are only interested in using the young while they simply do as the adults say. There are too many irresponsible people in these modern times, I can understand why you'd support the Phantom Thieves" he continued while Naruto shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Guess you have a point as the people around here are rather selfish about trampling over others to benefit themselves. The Phantom Thieves seem to be helping those trampled on and those who have no power to stop those in positions of power" Naruto admitted which got a contemplating look from Akechi as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"It's possible that this group is just as you believe and they are truly acting with good intentions. Since they have special talents I assume their hearts must be burning with a sense of justice and duty…." Akechi started, his tone starting off light with a soft expression but, as the expression changed to a more 'stoic' one he could feel a change in tone coming. "But that justice is merely a facade concealing their lack of true strength. That's why I believe, if a truly powerful opponent were to corner them they would flee without a second thought" he declared, his tone quickly changing to one with a barely hidden rather threatening undertone to it.

"I really don't think they'd run, fighting for those who can't implies they'd possess a degree of courage and strength. Don't you think?" Naruto suggested which got a soft smirk from the teen before he chuckled.

"You really are intriguing, I bet you'd make for a worthwhile debate partner on the subject. If it's all right with you, would you continue sharing your thoughts with me?" Akechi asked, holding out his hand as Naruto smirked a bit and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, sounds fine to me" Naruto agreed, shaking Akechi's hand while knowing he was most likely dangerous due to not only Morgana but his comments and tone just now but, at the same time, keeping him somewhat close might be for the best.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Smart but be careful just how 'close' you keep this one as who knows what kind of 'enemy' he potentially is" Arséne whispered to him, Naruto silently agreeing with his partner as the two shook hands.

"Thank you, that's great news. I sense something in you that's quite different from other people. I guess you can call it my 'detective's intuition'? Kidding, of course" he suggested with a bit of a laugh as the world turned grey and time stopped around him.

"I am thou, thou art I….Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Tower Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…" the woman's voice spoke out to him and, with no ball of light and Persona appearing, he figured he wasn't strong enough for the Tower Arcana just yet before the world returned to normal.(*3)

"Ah, yes - we should exchange contact info" Akechi suggested before they pulled out their phones and exchanged numbers. "Well, I hope to see you again sometime soon" he said with a smile before walking away, allowing Morgana to pop out of the bag once he was out of sight.

"A detective's intuition, huh? We shouldn't underestimate that but on the other hand there's an awful lot we could learn from him. If he contacts you, try hanging out with him" Morgana warned and suggested as Naruto nodded.

"Trust me, I know he's not someone to relax too much and lower my defense around" Naruto assured him as he felt, even without the 'pancake' comment and Arséne's warning after, he'd be able to pick up on Akechi being dangerous just from his tone alone.

"Sorry for takin' so long!" Ryuji apologized as he came back, slowing down a bit as he looked back in the direction Akechi walked off. "Wait, was that Akechi? I can't stand that high an' mighty attitude! Just breathin' the same air as him makes me sick" Ryuji complained before Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"Easy there, no need to go that far. Let's just get out of here" Naruto suggested, Morgana hiding back in the bag before they walked off.

From there the rest of the day went rather boringly with them spending a bit more time in Dome Town before heading home for the day.

-Yongen Jaya-

Once they arrived back at LeBlanc it didn't take long for Morgana to poke his head out of the bag and sigh.

"Well, that was a boring field trip….We didn't even find any worthwhile targets" Morgana complained while Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"While we didn't find any targets I wouldn't say it was for nothing" Naruto reassured him vaguely before his phone chimed.

Ryuji: That Akechi bastard….Thinking about what he said is just pissing me off again

Ann: He clearly tried to discredit everything we're doing

Ryuji: and he just had to say it on live TV too!

Shiho: Don't let it get to you so much

Shiho: There are, without a doubt, people we have saved, myself included, and couldn't have been saved if not for the Phantom Thieves

Naruto: She's right, letting one person - even one with a following like Akechi - get to us is not worth it

Naruto: We are doing this to help people, I couldn't care less about popularity honestly

Ann: I understand all of that but was what Akechi said actually wrong?

Ann: Is it really okay to be doing this just because they're criminals?

Shiho: Ann….us taking down Kamoshida and Madarame was necessary to save others from their abuse and crimes

Ryuji: Yeah! Nobody could do shit to either of them through normal methods!

Naruto: Think of it this way Ann, if we didn't then who knows what would have happened to Shiho, Kitagawa, or countless others down the line

Naruto: Kamoshida had the principal at his beck and call while Madarame had the art scene completely in his control. They both weren't about to change their actions or stop hurting others

Naruto: We're helping people, there is no other way to really explain things

Ann: You're right, there really isn't any other way they could've been stopped

Shiho: We have to stick to our justice, not that of the law. If we stick to the law then we would've gotten nowhere and they would've been allowed to continue

Naruto: Plus with the unanimous decision rule in place I don't think we'll be able to lose our way

Ann: yeah, you guys are right, sorry for bringing that up

Ryuji: Just you watch Akechi! Someday you're totally gonna see who was right!

Ann: Let's just stop talking about this for now, see you guys tomorrow

Shiho: Are we still on for the hotpot?

Naruto: Yeah, everything is still good for it

Ryuji: Sounds good to me! Looking forward to it!

He wasn't even able to put his phone away before it chimed again, this time Mishima being the one who messaged him.

Mishima: God, I'm furious!

Mishima: You heard what Akechi said, right Naruto?

Mishima: how dare he declare the Phantom Thieves are criminals!

Mishima: As the administrator of the Phantom Aficionado Website, I can't stay quiet about this!

Mishima: I'm going to show Akechi how people online really feel!

Mishima: I'll change up the survey question tomorrow morning

Mishima: Justice is with the Phantom Thieves! Keep on doing what you do best!

Naruto could only sigh at Mishima's anger, Morgana also seemingly being confused at it as he read the conversation over his shoulder. "Why is he of all people getting angry about this?" he asked while Naruto could only shrug his shoulders.

"As long as he doesn't go too crazy with his site I feel it's best to leave him be" Naruto said with a sigh before Sojiro came out from the kitchen area.

"Oh hey there, welcome back kid. I got the pot all ready for you for tomorrow just, be careful with the portable stove up there when you have your hot pot" Sojiro warned a bit before Naruto nodded.

"Promise we'll be careful, we won't leave it unattended and I know all the general rules for using one from my times camping in the past" he said, hoping to reassure the man as they looked at one another before Sojiro smirked and nodded.

"Good, then all I have left to say is have fun tomorrow. I'm bout to head home so be sure to close up before you go to bed" Sojiro told him before Naruto nodded as he finally headed upstairs, a bit mentally exhausted from the day.

Plus with the hot pot tomorrow the last thing he wanted was to be groggy and sleepy all day.

"Gonna head to bed early?" Morgana asked, seemingly figuring things out just by how he was looking.

"Yeah, today's been a day to say the least and tomorrow is a busy day so it's best to be rested" Naruto told him, getting a nod from the 'not cat' before - after locking up once Sojiro left - they quickly got ready for bed.

It was definitely one of those 'pass out the second his head hit the pillow' kinds of nights but honestly, he was happy for it so he could sleep and rest well for tomorrow.

-5/28 – Saturday-

As he made his way to school Naruto wasn't that surprised to hear the Phantom Thieves being talked about more openly by some older women on the train. Though with them it seemed to be more about how 'ridiculous' it was to think they could be real.

The students on his way to school, more expectedly, were gushing about how handsome~ Akechi was on the TV interview.

"I can't believe we were on TV yesterday - with Akechi! It was like a dream come true! He's just like Shirogane, a high schooler who moonlights as a detective prince! Akechi is smart AND handsome! He's almost TOO perfect!" one of the loud girls ahead of him gushed, Naruto realizing why Naoto probably didn't like being called a 'detective prince'.

"We had front row seats. I could practically reach out and touch Akechi! I was so nervous!" the other girl said as the two continued. "He was really working that uniform without seeming like a snob and he's a natural at public speaking. I even heard how he's an orphan who grew up poor. It's part of what makes him so amazing! He wants his last high school memory to be capturing the Phantom Thieves, this isn't a game to him!" she gushed as if he was some soap opera character or was some sort of 'tv drama' character.

"See, I heard his dad's the head of some big financial conglomerate. I will say though, I love that he hates the media. Makes me believe he doesn't do this for the fame" the first girl said, Naruto actually unable to hold in his laughter which got the girls to glare back at him.

"What? A friend sent me a funny image?" Naruto told them with a raised eyebrow, thankful that he had his phone out to cover up his laughter.

Normally he was better at holding things in but their comments were seriously hilarious as fan girls were some of the most unaware creatures. Even from just seeing one interview it was incredibly obvious that Akechi pretty much thrived and enjoyed media attention even with his calm and collected personality.

He decided to 'tune out' of their conversation, afraid he might laugh again, and thankfully they arrived at school shortly after.

School, as always, went by the same before he found himself dragged off by Ryuji once lunchtime came around.

"Man, that detective from yesterday really pissed me off! We're some kind of threat? Let's see him do it then!" Ryuji said as he started going off about Akechi again.

"Dude, I know Akechi has you heated but calm down. Getting pissed off won't do any good" Naruto told him, trying his best to calm his friend down before Ryuji banged his fist against the vending machine in one of the little coves in the courtyard.

"If someone else could help 'em we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!" Ryuji all but screamed, Naruto groaning before hanging his head with a long sigh.

"Dude, just get a megaphone why don't you!" Naruto hissed out in a whisper just as Ann walked over and smacked Ryuji upside the head.

"I agree with Naruto, you are being way too loud" Ann chided him as she ate some snacks before leaning against the round table in the little cove.

"Who cares? Everybody's talkin' about this stuff anyways. It'd just be more suspicious if we were whisperin'" Ryuji defended before Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whispering is more suspicious and dangerous than yelling what you just yelled out in the open" Naruto flatly told him, looking at his friend with a flat and 'done with' look that Ryuji had the decency to shrink and at least look a bit sorry for.

"The police are getting involved now, we can't be laid back and careless" Morgana warned as well as Ann nodded.

"But we can't let the cops scare us outta being Phantom Thieves" Ryuji rebutted, his voice having some determination to it as Ann sighed with a frown.

"But what about that weird guy from Madarame's Palace? Isn't there a lot we don't know?" Ann asked as Naruto nodded.

"Yes but at the same time we can't just abandon people in need as that's why we began what we did" Naruto told her, seriously having to hold back about his knowledge about Akechi and - now that he remembered Madarame's words about another person visiting his Palace - how he was potentially that person. Though, as Arséne suggested, he bit his tongue and stayed silent.

He frowned as he noticed a familiar face showing up, quickly signaling to the others with a subtle tilt of his head just as Makoto and Naoto showed up.

"Hey you two, is everything all good?" Naruto asked, hoping that the Principal wasn't giving them trouble.

"Yes, we were just wondering who was making all that noise" Naoto said with a bit of a frown before Ryuji rubbed the back of his head as he looked away a bit.

"Yeah sorry bout that, just a bit heated over something. I'll keep it down" he assured them, apologizing as Makoto nodded.

Naruto was instantly worried they might have overheard him but, even as the two of them looked around at them, he couldn't get a 'read' on if they had or not. He hoped they hadn't as he seriously couldn't think of any excuse he could give with Ryuji's essential confession to them being the Phantom Thieves.

"Well, even if you are outside just do your best to keep your volume reasonable" Makoto asked, getting a nod from Ryuji before she looked over at Naruto.

"We might have to talk soon regarding matters we talked about last time, will you be available?" she asked, getting an instant nod from Naruto.

"Of course, come and find me whenever you need me or send me a message" he assured them which got them both to smile and nod.

"We'll keep that in mind, until then, see you around senpais" Naoto told them before he and Makoto walked away, Naruto letting out a sigh once they were gone before looking over at Ryuji again.

Though, the look on his face showed he knew he had 'done bad'.

"If they overheard anything we're screwed. Naoto might be a friend of mine and a bit more open to the thought of the Phantom Thieves being on the side of good but he is still a detective prince, we can't forget that a version of Akechi goes to our school" Naruto warned and reminded them both, even if Ryuji was the loud mouth he would rather them all be cautious about what they said and where.

"Got it" Ryuji agreed before Ann stood up and dusted off her skirt and nodded in agreement.

"We should probably head back to class, lunch is nearly over" Ann told them as she stretched a bit, both of them noticing the time as well before they decided to head back to class.

From there the rest of school went by without any issues and, once the bell rang, the three of them made their way to Shibuya.

-Shibuya-

"Shiho said she'd be on her way, right?" Naruto asked as the three of them decided to wait for her next to the subway car that was up above ground.

"Yeah, she just has to transfer over lines and she knows where the meeting spot is" Ann said before smiling a bit as she seemingly remembered something. "This will be your first time seeing her in her new uniform, won't it?" she asked as Naruto rubbed his chin in thought a bit before nodding.

"Yeah, I think it will actually. How is she liking her new school?" Naruto asked, which made Ann's smile almost become softer.

"She's doing good, made some friends but she assured me it wouldn't mess with us or her being a Phantom Thief" Ann assured him as he'd be lying if he didn't say it slightly worried him, even if he had been hoping she'd make some friends to make the new school easier for her.

"Okay, what has you so pissed off now?" Naruto asked Ryuji with a sigh, seeing his friend's emotions written clear as day on his face as he scrolled through his phone.

"Comments on the website! What else!?" Ryuji barked out as he glared at his screen and continued to read. "'A criminal group with unknown goals that does whatever it wants in the name of justice'. This is all because of Akechi! TV's got seriously too much crazy sway" he grumbled as Naruto shook his head.

"He can say whatever he wants and we'll continue doing what we do. The more the people see our actions the more they'll understand so getting angry over it doesn't do anyone any good" Naruto told him, taking the phone from Ryuji before closing out of the site and handing it back to him which got a sigh before he put it away.

"Just give it time and we'll find our next target but for now let's focus on the hot pot as Shiho's here" Naruto pointed out, getting them to turn and see her running their way with an apologetic look on her face.

He had to admit, as he saw Shiho in her uniform, that she looked really good in it. Her new uniform consisted of a black jacket with a suit jacket style collar that had white trim to its edges as well as pockets, a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a black skirt that had two white lines going around it just a bit above the end of it.(*4)

"Sorry I'm late guys, had to wait for the next train due to people rushing in and filling it before I could get in" Shiho apologized as she stopped running before Naruto waved it off.

"It's fine, we seriously didn't wait that much" he reassured her with a smile. "Also, your uniform looks nice" he complimented, rubbing the back of his head a bit as Ann smiled and draped an arm over Shiho's shoulder while she blushed a bit at the compliment.

"Come on, let's get going as I'm starving!" Ryuji declared as he stretched a bit before Ann sighed and shook her head.

"I swear, sometimes you have no tact…." Ann said, confusing Ryuji before she and Shiho started to head down to the subways.

"What? What did I do?" Ryuji asked as he looked to Naruto for help only to get a sigh and a pat on the shoulder from as he followed after the girls.

"Just….let's just go" Naruto told him, knowing he wouldn't really understand even if Naruto tried to explain it to him.

-Yongen Jaya-

"Wow….this place has such a comfy feel to it" Shiho said with a smile as she looked around LeBlanc as they walked in.

"I know right! I said the same thing when I first came here" Ann said, nodding along since this place had a very 'at home' vibe to it.

"Welcome back you two and nice to meet you…?" Sojiro greeted before trailing off as he smiled at Shiho.

"Oh! Shiho, Shiho Suzui. Thank you for letting us intrude on your business" she introduced and thanked with a bow only for Sojiro to chuckle and shake his head.

"It's not intruding, if anything I should be thanking you all for befriending him after he enrolled here. But that's beside the point as I believe you all have a hot pot to prepare for?" he asked, getting a smile from Ann who put her hands on Shiho's shoulders.

"Yes we do! Ryuji and I are going to buy the ingredients while these two prepare the cooking area! We'll be right back" Ann said, lightly pushing Shiho into Naruto before dragging Ryuji out without any say in the matter, which got a bit of laughter from Sojiro.

"I have the pot all set aside and cleaned for you so why don't you take it on up there" Sojiro suggested as he nodded his head over to the kitchen where the large pot was sitting out on the counter.

"Got it, why don't you head on up Shiho and I'll be right behind you then we can set up the table together" Naruto told her, getting a nod from her before she took his bag from him and headed on up.

"Is that the girl you saved?" Sojiro asked in a quiet tone once Shiho was up the stairs to ensure they weren't overheard.

"Yeah, she transferred schools after everything but she's doing a lot better" Naruto told him as he walked over to the kitchen to grab the pot. "We'll try and be quiet so we don't disturb any customers" he assured him, only for Sojiro to shake his head with a smile.

"Don't worry about that, I'm gonna close up early for you guys so you all just carefully enjoy your hot pot. And be sure to clean up any of the coffee stuff you use if any of them want some" Sojiro told him, giving him permission to brew coffee for them as he started to take off his apron before 'shoo-ing' Naruto away to head upstairs.

"Your room is massive…." Shiho said in a bit of awe as she stood in the middle of it, looking around at the wide open space of his spacious room.

"Yeah, definitely needs some stuff to 'fill the space', or at least as much as I'm allowed" Naruto said with a chuckle as he carefully set down the pot on the couch. "The table, stove, and extra chairs are back there so just let me bring them out and we can work on cleaning them off and setting things up" he told her, getting a nod as she helped bring out the chairs as he held them out towards her.

Everything was relatively clean, minus a bit of dust, and the stove was clean and functional so setting it up really wasn't that difficult and by the time they were done the others had returned.

"Seems like Boss is giving us the place to ourselves?" Ann asked a bit confused as they made their way up the stairs.

"Yeah, he decided to let us enjoy ourselves without having to worry about bothering other customers that might come by" Naruto explained before they set down the food they had bought.

"Sweet! Then let's get cooking!" Ryuji cheered with an excited smile, nearly drooling over the food before Naruto, with Ann's help, started up the hot pot.

"Please don't tell me you are still looking at the Phan-Site cause if you are and are gonna get pissed again then I'm gonna add your phone to the pot" Naruto warned Ryuji, already seeing his eyes started to look like they tended to whenever Ryuji was pissed off.

"Dude! I can't help it when even those who previously believed in us have been swayed due to everything that effin' Akechi said on TV!" Ryuji yelled as Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed.

"At this rate we're just going to worry everyone instead of give them courage..." Ann muttered before Naruto stood up and clapped his hands to get their attention.

"We started being Phantom Thieves just a bit over a month ago, yes?" he asked, getting some nods as they had first awakened their powers in the middle of April. "Then stop freaking out as if we haven't done shit for a couple months. We juuuuuust started and already took down two big targets and might I remind you we came across both by sheer luck" he reminded them as he held up two fingers.

"Kamoshida we literally were dropped into by the MetaNav while Madarame we figured out by the first Shadow we targeted in Mementos" he listed off before raising a third finger. "Give us a little bit of time and I'm sure we will crash into our third target, until then - and only if it takes us over a month to do so - I really don't want to hear complaining as if we haven't done anything, okay?" he asked of them, looking from one to another as he saw that both Ann and Ryuji saw his point while Shiho and Morgana smiled as he felt they were on the same page as him from the start.

"That's our leader, always reassuring us" Morgana complimented with a smirk before Naruto sat back down.

"Now let's get this hot pot cooked cause I'm seriously hungry" Naruto told them before Ann and Shiho resumed helping him so that they could finally start eating.

-Niijima Household-

"How is everything going in school? Is the Principal still pressuring you about things?" Sae asked as she and Makoto ate dinner together while doing her best to tune out the repeat airing of Akechi's 'Good Morning Japan' interview.

"A bit but with Naoto and Naruto's help he seems to have backed off a bit. Don't worry though Sis, this isn't something that is going to be permanent and he isn't getting in the way of my studies" she assured her sister, smiling over to her in hopes to ease her worry that was clearly written on her face.

"I know it's just I can't get over how he's doing this to you, all over some ridiculous grudge towards a student and then some even more idiotic thoughts about the Phantom Thieves" Sae said with an exasperated sigh.

"What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However they are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice and more importantly you should never forcefully change a person's heart" Akechi said over the TV as Makoto frowned as she looked over at the TV.

"Is it really a crime to change someone's heart? I mean, the way Naruto put it, change of heart could potentially be seen as a way to 'turn back on' the conscience of others - especially given no blackmail is involved" Makoto brought up, mentioning Naruto's point he made last time he was here as she had also been thinking about it.

"While I can see his point, in the eyes of the law and depending on the means, yes. Yes the Phantom Thieves have, so far, taken down two criminals who were dangerous to those around them but even then they are essentially vigilantes given they take matters into their own hands" Sae explained with a sigh, this one being more one that showed this was a complex matter.

"Seems like we aren't the only ones he told his thoughts to" Makoto joked a bit as they both heard Naruto's voice answer about how he saw it as a 'reawakening of conscience' in response to the female host's question. "I'm still surprised, out of all the students there on the trip, they asked him" she added with a chuckle as Sae also chuckled a bit.

"Most likely the red hair, even with glasses that doesn't quite make him as discreet as he probably wants" Sae said with a smirk as she understood he probably wore fake glasses to try and not stand out but that hair of his made that impossible. "I will say though that him voicing his thoughts like that is for the best and his tone alone will probably help sway a few people to his way of thinking. Even as a prosecutor I have to admit his words are powerful and made me see his point a bit" she admitted before her smirk turned to a frown as her phone rang.

"Ugh, now?" she groaned out before she got up and answered the phone, a look to Makoto showing she understood and allowed her to walk off to have her conversation without feeling too bad.

Makoto couldn't help but frown though, not due to her sister getting up and leaving, but more due to the thoughts and choices that were bouncing around in her head.

She knew she had to do something but, at the same time, worried about doing it to begin with….

-LeBlanc-

"I can't eat another bite…." Ryuji groaned out, being beyond full as they had finished their hot pot.

"That was delicious Lady Ann, I'm sure you'll make a wonderful bride some-" Morgana started to praise before Ann cut him off with a groan as she stretched.

"Sorry, I think I'm gonna borrow the sofa" Ann told him as she laid down, laying her head on Shiho's lap who merely smirked and giggled a bit as if this wasn't the first time this had happened to her.

Naruto frowned through as Ryuji started to lean to the side with Morgana hopping on the table to both try and peek up her skirt a bit, something that Naruto stopped by throwing an empty plastic soda bottle across the table at them.

"Perverts" Naruto said as the bottle hit Morgana, ricocheted off the 'not cat' and smacked Ryuji in the face. "Thanks again for helping Ann, you and Shiho are great cooks" Naruto complimented as, to be honest, he really didn't do much cooking as the girls seemed to be much more skilled at it than he was.

"You're welcome Naruto, you're not so bad yourself" Ann said with a smile as she tilted her head back a bit to look at him while still laying on Shiho's lap. "Shiho deserves most of the praise though, she's gonna make an amazing wife to a lucky man" she teased, reaching up to cup her friend's cheeks to further tease her despite her friend's growing blush.

Though Shiho was quick to playfully bat her friend's hands away which got some giggles from Ann.

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he watched his friends though, as much as he wanted it to continue, they eventually had to go home given how late it was getting.

He of course waved off all attempts for them to try and help with washing the dishes and after a bit he was finally able to get ready for bed before his phone chimed.

Ann: Hey, bout to head to bed but I wanted you all to check out the pictures I took today!

As the picture loaded he couldn't help but chuckle a bit as it was a picture of Shiho, Ryuji, and him where his glasses were fogged up by the steam of the hot pot. Shiho seemed to be cutely holding in her laughter while Ryuji was visibly bursting with laughter and he just had a straight look on his face from being done with the constant fogging.

Ann: Not bad, right?

Naruto: Hot steam fogging up glasses - even if fake - is quite funny. Even I have to admit despite being annoyed by it lol

Ryuji: Oh man….I keep looking back at this picture and Naruto, your face is STILL hilarious

Naruto: Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Probably should have just taken them off but wearing them has gotten to the point where they're like socks - feels weird not to wear them

Shiho: At least they look good on you

Ann: u

Shiho: Quiet Ann!

Naruto: Night everyone lol

Once everything was put away and the shop was locked up Naruto was beyond tired from the busy and fun day. He knew things would only get busier as things ramped up but personally he was looking forward to it.

As he started to fall asleep though he felt himself drifting off somewhere else, not too surprised as it had been a while since they called for him.

-Velvet Room-

He knew the routine enough to just get up and head to the cell door where the twins were waiting for him, knowing Caroline was far from patient.

"The prisoner Naruto Uzumaki has returned" Justine declared to Igor as Caroline glared up at him.

"You're in the presence of our master! Stand up straight!" she barked out as Naruto sighed and did his best despite how tired he was.

"The bonds that you have reeled in are quite intriguing, all have been unfairly labeled by society or stricken down by society and are standing up against such fates. Have you noticed? They seem to have influenced you" Igor rambled on as he let out a chuckle, Naruto figuring he was talking about those on his team and not all his confidants in general.

"These picaresque dissidents of society….deepen your bonds with them. Those will become the strength behind your rehabilitation….I look forward to it" Igor continued before he pointed out a finger towards him. "I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth, the ability to now wield up to ten Persona, consider it a gift. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation" he declared as Naruto felt a pulse inside him and the book he knew was in his pocket to glow for a moment.

"It's almost time, until we meet again Trickster" Igor said with his ever-present smile, Naruto feeling that it'd be growing if it could, as an alarm rang out and Naruto felt sleep take him once more.

-Chapter End-

---

Pairing: Naruto x Futaba, Ann, Shiho, Makoto, Haru, Kasumi, Kawakami, Tae, Caroline, Justine, Lavenza, Sae, Hifumi, Ohya, Chihaya, and Naoto

---

*1 = I'm using Aegis' P3 Dancing outfit as it feels more 'advanced' given 20+ years have passed since P3 and it also helps her not stand out oh so much you know? She's still the same size and whatnot as robots don't grow in height lol

*2 = Okay so yes, Naruto picked up on the 'pancake comment' but - under Arséne's advice - is keeping it a secret for now as you know if Ryuji and Ann knew they wouldn't be able to act normally around Akechi. Naruto will tell a few people like Makoto, Naoto, and Morgana but right now he's keeping it secret to keep them safe and keep the 'powerful ace up his sleeve' secret

*3 = I chose the Tower for Akechi as it is associated with 'overly arrogant, prejudiced, and authoritarian organizations which walk to their own ironic demise' and is an omen of doom and disaster and all the persona in it are figures who were once loved or heroic but fell from grace and deities associated with destruction, righteousness, and whatnot.

Human characters of the Tower also are typically arrogant and introverted, isolated somewhat of their own volition but in part because of treatment from others around them.

All in all I felt it fit Akechi rather well - though not fully I admit - I still felt it was a good enough fit given I chose Naoto for his canon Arcana

*4 = I chose this uniform off a random pic on google when I looked up japanese school uniforms. I don't think it's from an anime but I could be wrong though in the end where it's from doesn't matter and neither does the name of her new school as it'll pay no importance

---

A lot has happened in this chapter, the first being Naruto has met/contacted Futaba way before canon, though to him she's Alibaba and is just someone keeping an eye on Sojiro for some reason. He trusts her as she doesn't seem bad and they'll talk more as time goes on.

No confidant though, obviously, as he hasn't actually met her and they are barely talking over chat only.

Another Major thing is one of his aunts has been revealed! Mitsuru Kirijo is Kushina's sister (as if the red hair wasn't obvious) and she is round the same age as how old his mom would be if she was alive.

He also knows Aegis from since he was a kid and he knows some of the other P3 characters but only those who tend to show up around Mitsuru.

Mitsuru being in Tokyo won't mess with much but her presence will annoy 'The Conspiracy' as they can't affect her directly as she has no Shadow given her Shadow is her Persona – though to them they just believe her Shadow is very well hidden and deep in Mementos so it can't be accessed.

His other aunt will show up later as well and I'll give you two hints: 1 – she's gonna be younger than Kushina and 2 – she is only his half aunt as Mitsuru and Kushina's parents divorced with Kushina staying with their mom as Mitsuru stayed with the dad. Not much of a hint but that's all I'll give you

The utter BIGGEST thing that has happened has to be that Naruto picked up on the 'pancake' comment and knows Akechi is most likely the one that Madarame mentioned. He didn't mention it to the others cause, as Arséne pointed out, it'd strain the others to put up their acts which is true as the others bring that up later so doing it for one Palace is one thing but for several Palaces is something I don't see them being able to do

Other than that it was mainly just going along the days, some confidant stuff here and there, before the 'Loud Mouth Ryuji' incident that will be dealt with in the next chapter which in turn gets the ball rolling to Kaneshiro's Palace so look forward to it!

---

**Attention!**

I have officially started a discord server for my writing that anyone can join!

If you wish to join drop me a PM and I'll give you the link or you can ask alongside your review and I'll give it to you. Originally I was just gonna have the link here but that could be a tad bit dangerous if a troll got it or if someone I have blocked got it lol

Keep in mind people have access to channels with stuff equivalent to the tiers they are pledged to. BUT, even if you aren't pledged you have access to all the basic stuff of the server :)

---

I would like to remind everyone I do have a pat reon which includes rewards like seeing progress updates, notifications to new stories I plan to do, voting polls, and early access to chapters before I post them on FF.

Simple go to pat reon and paste:

/user?u=4783680

At the end of pat reon's url and you'll find my page.

You don't get anything that everyone here won't get aka there will be no "pat reon exclusive stories" or things where I have to get a certain amount of money before I work on something as both of those are shitty practices.

It is solely "hey, you want to support me, a disabled unemployed writer who survives off my disability checks? Thanks, I appreciate it" and nothing more

So yeah, check it out if you want :)

---

I hope you all liked it

Until Next Time

Rate and Review

Buh-Bye!