Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.


Chapter 1:
A New Life

Naruto stared out the window of the so-called "car" he was in, taking in the sights around him. He had been stuffed in another one of these "cars" before when those policemen came to arrest him, but he had been too out of it to marvel what he was seeing now.

This really was a new world.

Naruto hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but there no room for doubt now. Somehow, he ended up in a new world.

He just knew an Uchiha was to thank for this.

That wasn't all that was new to him now.

Naruto glanced to the two men sitting in the front seats. The one driving this car was the one they call headmaster of this school for Ultimates. Naruto still had many questions in his head about this whole turn of events, but one thing was clear.

He was going to Hope's Peak Academy.


"Hope's Peak Academy….?" Naruto tested the name with his mouth several times, the name rolling off his tongue with ease.

It was also the first words he had spoken in some hours now.

Jin nodded, his face impassive. "Yes. That is the name of the school I represent. We…...were hoping you would join the school alongside the rest of the upcoming Ultimates of this year."

"Ultimates?"

Jin had to pause at the questioning look the blond was throwing his way. It was almost like this boy had no idea what an Ultimate was…..

Tengan was the one who asked, "Have you never heard of an Ultimate? Or of Hope's Peak Academy?"

"Am I supposed to?"

The response was so fast, the two men had to take a few moments to recompose themselves.

Well. This kid had certainly been living under a rock, hadn't he? After all, there was not one teenager in this country who didn't know about Hope's Peak Academy or the students that attended the school. Anyone who managed to get into the main course was practically a celebrity. And yet, this boy in front of him didn't know anything about that. Jin had to discreetly pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Tengan chuckled, finding more humor in the situation than Jin.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

Naruto looked at the men before him, silently going over his options. Right now, he had no idea where he was, or how he could get back home. He didn't have chakra, and Kurama was no longer inside him. As alarming as those facts were, Naruto knew the more pressing issue here was his lack of information. He needed to know more about this place, about where he was. But could these two men help him with that? Heck, would this Hope's Peak Academy help him? Or would it be a waste of time?

Hmm.

Coming to a decision, Naruto tried to look as confident as he could.

"I'm not from any of the big areas. I come from a…...village. Yeah, a village. Deep in the woods. We mostly keep to ourselves. Contact with the outside world is few and far-between. So you have to apologize my lack of knowledge when it comes to this stuff."

He had to mentally pat himself on the back for his quick thinking there. He didn't want others knowing about his true nature. Not right now at least. Maybe never.

Jin didn't bother to hide his surprise. "I…..see. I have heard that such…..communities existed. I didn't think a member from one of these remote places would cause this much trouble for us, though."

Naruto scratched his cheek. From what little he had been able to understand when he was being brought to this place, it seemed like the building he had appeared in was very important to the people here, culturally wise anyway. It was so important that they had guards watching the property. Strange looking guards in weird outfits, but guards nonetheless.

"Yeah….sorry about that. I didn't mean to cause any trouble like that. It was an accident. I had no idea that place was so important."

"Why did you come to the city?" Tengan asked, jumping straight to the next point of interest. "Surely you must have a reason for leaving your home like this."

He was here involuntarily, but Naruto couldn't say that, now could he.

"I wanted to see more of the world. I was just…..curious."

"And your clothes?" Jin questioned. He was glad the boy was being cooperative with them. Things would go a lot smoother this way. "You look like you've been in a war zone."

The man was more right than he realized.

"I got through some other mishaps on my way here," Naruto said sheepishly. Or as sheepishly as he could anyway. "It seems like there's a lot more security around these parts than I realized."

Jin mentally groaned at this. Had this boy been causing more problems elsewhere? If he came with them to Hope's Peak, those problems would basically become his. It just meant more work for him, and he didn't want that.

Once again, Tengan was more amused than Jin. Probably because he was just an advisor now, so he had no real stake in this.

"Well, you've certainly made a name for yourself in this incident, my boy," Tengan said. "But I must ask one last question. These skills of yours. How did you get them? Did you have a teacher? Is your….village responsible for them?"

Naruto had to think about how to answer this a bit more carefully than the previous questions.

"Something like that. My village prides itself in secrecy. In order to maintain that secrecy, some people are tasked to train around those skill sets."

Tengan smiled. "Like ninjas then."

Naruto had to look away. "If you wish to call it that, then alright."

These guys knew about ninjas? What the fuck?

'This world….what kind of place is this?'

"Why did you leave then?"

Naruto shrugged. "Like I said, I wanted to see what else was out there. I didn't want to be confined to my village for the rest of my life. I want to explore and experience new things."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

Jin studied the boy before him, trying to make sense of the mystery presented to him. It wasn't everyday that he met someone as interesting as this boy. Even with all the answers he had received, Jin wasn't convinced that he knew the full story here. The boy was definitely hiding something. What, Jin didn't know. But all his years as a detective had left him with a great insight, which he trusted.

Still, despite this, Jin knew he couldn't prove anything. Not with more information. And without knowing where the boy's supposed village was….

He held back a sigh.

"I think it's time for me to ask you guys some questions," Naruto said and leaned back in his seat. "I think it's only fair after everything you've asked me."

Jin and Tengan shared a look with one another.

Fair enough.

Jin turned to him again.

"What do you want to know?"


Naruto watched as the car pulled up to a really grand-looking house in the suburbs. The house was just as big as his apartment complex back in Konoha. Maybe a little smaller. But still. Who needed this much space?

Tengan chuckled when he noticed Naruto's look. "Really big, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…no offense, old man, but I think it's a waste of space."

Tengan looked more amused now. "You're right about that. But, and I don't mean to brag, I have more money than I know what to do with. So I may have gone a bit overboard with my spending."

Naruto didn't respond and instead got out of the car with Jin and Tengan doing the same. The blond gave the odd-looking machine a sour look. It wasn't that he didn't like riding in the vehicle, it's just that he could probably run faster. Not to mention that staying seated in one place for so long like that…...it just wasn't in him. He should probably get used to it, though, if this "Hope's Peak Academy" was anything like he was told.

Yes, Naruto was going to school. But not just any school. Apparently this school was very special, so special in fact that every high school student in the country wanted to attend. It was that famous.

But what exactly made it so famous? Well, it had to do with the students that went there. They were all talented individuals specializing in one field or another, earning them the title of Ultimate. There were all kinds of Ultimate students at the school apparently. They all used their talents for the sake of "hope" of the country. This upcoming class in particular was so big that it was going to be divided into two. Naruto was going to be attending one of these two classes, or so Jin told him.

None of this particularly mattered to Naruto all that much, though. Talent, celebrities, hope, whatever. Sure, he thought it was noble what the school was doing, especially for the country of "Japan." Having the best-suited individuals on the front lines of every major job field was sure to produce nothing but positive results for the future.

The catch is: Naruto wasn't from this world.

The Uzumaki didn't want to sound like an egotistical asshole, but the dealings of this world had nothing to do with him. His main priority was to find a way home, and fast. He needed to see the Fourth Shinobi War to the end. This meant kicking Madara's resurrected ass once and for all. He couldn't do that if he was stuck here, though.

Plain and simple, the only reason Naruto took Jin on his offer of joining Hope's Peak Academy was for the benefits that came with graduation. And of the possible connections he could make here. From what Naruto could see, the best chances he had of finding someone who could help him return to his world was through this place. Until something better came around, Hope's Peak Academy was his best choice at the moment.

This was why Naruto had been given the tittle of the Ultimate Ninja. It was lousy as far as Naruto was concerned, but he had pretty much confirmed to them by this point that he was a ninja. Or close enough to them that he could be called one.

There was also the issue of money and housing to settle. Naruto had neither here. This explained why he was here now.

"I'm gonna be staying here?" Naruto said out loud, still shocked by the size of the house.

Tengan chuckled. "You said you're not from around here. I'm not sure how you've managed to get by up until now, but considering that we're making you stay in one place, I figured it was the least I could do."

Naruto was flattered, he really was. He would have been fine staying at the so-called dorms like most students did, but then Tengan went and offered this to him.

Jin did not approve of this decision, but Tengan had been insistent about the matter.

And so, here they were.

"This is where we part ways," Jin spoke. "My house is in the opposite direction."

And not as big.

Naruto glanced at him before turning to Tengan again. He had to wonder why he was staying with the old man, but not with the headmaster. Was there a reason for that? Or was it at random? Or maybe was it because Tengan had the bigger house?

'They did say it was to help me adjust, but….'

Naruto didn't buy that excuse. He wasn't great at reading other people like some of his friends, but he still trusted his gut above anything else. And his gut was telling him that there was something else going on here.

Jin drove off after that, promising to call Naruto first thing in the morning. The Uzumaki simply watched the car speed away, still trying to wrap his around such a machine actually existing. It wasn't just the car either. It was the whole world around him.

Everything…..was different. Roads, houses, buildings, technology. Some seemed reminiscent to the technology back in his world. But it was still a lot to swallow for him.

"Shall we go?"

Naruto followed after Tengan who led him to the house. There was a pretty long driveway that led to the property, and a big fence that kept people from entering without permission. Naruto felt that it made the place look more unwelcoming, but maybe that was the intention?

"I don't spend much time here," Tengan told him as the two stepped inside the home. There was a big living room waiting for Naruto. It was a pretty standard looking living room. The furniture looked expensive, as did the tables. But it was something that could come out of a magazine. It didn't look "personal."

Naruto had to stop himself from gawking at the giant TV, though.

"I'm usually back at the school, working long shifts or taking care of other matters," Tengan continued as he showed Naruto the other rooms in the house.

The kitchen was pretty massive too, with marble as the foundation. There was a dining room next to it. Tengan kept a study as well, which was actually the room he used the most, aside from his bedroom of course. There was a bathroom by the kitchen, which was for house guests. A laundry room stood past the kitchen. Finally, shooting off from the living room, there was a hallway that led to the bedrooms. There were three rooms in total. One was Tengan's, and the other two were unoccupied.

"You'll basically be having the whole place to yourself," Tengan concluded as he showed Naruto the room he was staying in.

"That's kinda strange, isn't it?" Naruto finally said while inspecting his new room. He was grateful for it. It was clean, and was a lot bigger than his room back in his cheap apartment in Konoha. "Aren't you supposed to be watching me?"

"Hm? Is there supposed to be a double-meaning in there somewhere?"

So this old man was sharp, huh.

"You're keeping me close to you because you don't trust me." Naruto looked at the man, the two locking gazes. "That's why you offered me a place here and instead of having me stay in the dorms like normal students do."

Tengan chuckled and clasped both hands behind his back.

"So you picked up on it. Despite seeming distracted, you've been keeping a close on everything. Not bad. Your Ultimate Ninja status won't disappoint the school."

Naruto did not say anything to this. He wasn't going to get sidetracked and let the man not answer his question.

Tengan picked up on this and chuckled louder. "I guess I wasn't wrong about you. Lying to you will probably do more harm than good, so I guess the truth it is."

Naruto decided to take that as a compliment.

"Despite your skills, you're not a very good liar," Tengan said. "Or rather, it's more like your eyes betray you. The headmaster noticed this as well. You weren't telling the truth back there."

Naruto opened his mouth, but Tengan quickly raised his hand. "Don't bother. I can tell that you don't mean any harm. It's the reason why I had no problems with letting you join Hope's Peak Academy despite your…..questionable background."

And by questionable, he meant practically non-existent.

Tengan continued. "But I will admit that I am quite intrigued. In you, I mean. I doubt you'd be forthcoming if I asked you now, and you'd probably vanish without a trace if I pushed you too hard. This arrangement will benefit us both greatly. It will give me plenty of time to unravel all your secrets."

Naruto didn't know what to say to this. He hadn't expected the man to be so truthful with him.

"I…..now that you've told me this, you know I'm going to be on my guard, right? Hell, I can walk out the front door right now, old man."

Tengan didn't believe this, though. "I highly doubt that. The fact that you accepted our offer to join the school shows that there's something you need there. That's why I'm sure you'll be sticking around for sometime. At the very least, until you have found whatever it is you're looking for."

Naruto had to stop himself from cursing. Was he really that easy to read? Cause this old man had him pinned down good.

"Also, here."

Those thoughts ceased when Tengan threw a familiar pouch at him.

Naruto's eyes lit up in recognition.

"This is…!"

"That's the only thing you have on you, right? Besides your clothes, I mean." Tengan tilted his head to the side. "It took us a lot to convince the station to give those back to you. But there you go."

Naruto gripped the kunai pouch tightly. It wasn't much, but other than his headband, this was all he had to remind him of his home.

It was a special treasure to him now.

Tengan watched the boy go into a more somber mood.

How very interesting.

"You should get some rest, my boy." Tengan made for the door. "After all, tomorrow is going to be a very hectic day for you."

Naruto's eyes left the pouch and went to the retreating Tengan.

Now what could that possibly mean?


Naruto learned firsthand what Tengan had meant by "hectic day" the night before. Hectic just wasn't enough, though. It was more like insane and mindblowing.

First, Naruto had been made to wear old people clothes. According to Tengan, he couldn't be walking around in his battered outfit. It would just attract too much attention. But since Naruto didn't have any other clothes on him, Tengan had lent him some of his old clothing. Since Naruto was taller and a lot more "buff," for a lack of a better word, the clothes had been painful to put on. Thankfully, the first thing on the agenda was clothes shopping. According to Tengan, Hope's Peak Academy was paying for it. Naruto had his doubts, especially since he knew nothing was truly free. With no other options, though, Naruto accepted the money, vowing to pay them back somehow.

Next was a phone. And here was where things got interesting. And by interesting, Naruto meant bizarre.

"How the hell do these things work!?"

Tengan watched with great amusement as Naruto continued to poke his new phone, on the verge of his tearing his own hair out. The blond had chosen an orange case for it, as to be expected. But other than that, he bore no love toward the little machine.

"It's usually people my age who struggle with technology these days. So seeing someone so young sharing in our pain…...it's a wonderful feeling."

Naruto would have glared at him were it not for him trying to figure out the phone still. This was almost like a challenge, and Uzumaki Naruto never backed down from a challenge!

But that wasn't all that Naruto had to deal with today. Jin had called earlier and informed him of his placement. Hope's Peak Academy was fast when it came to securing talent. Anyway, from what he had been told, he was going to be a part of the 77th class, section B. He was going to have fifteen other classmates. Compared to the Academy back in Konoha, the classes here were a bit smaller. Not that it mattered to Naruto all that much. He wasn't here to make friends. He was here to get back home. The fact that attending class wasn't mandatory was a huge plus to him. Going to classes would just slow him down.

"It seems you're about ready," Tengan said as he sipped tea from the living room.

Naruto joined him, still annoyed with the stupid phone but letting it go for now. The blond was now dressed in orange sweats and a simple white t-shirt. No matter where he was, Naruto would always love orange.

"There's still a lot of things I don't understand, old man." Naruto glanced at his phone. "Technology here is just…a lot different than my village."

Tengan waved off his concerns. "I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough. It's scary how adaptable humans can become. And if you still have more questions, I'm sure your classmates won't mind helping you out."

"So you're just gonna let me be on my own? That doesn't sound very helpful of you."

"It's the way of the world. Besides, I sincerely doubt you'd want me hanging over your shoulder. You have things to do, right?"

Now Naruto understood. The geezer was hoping to catch information on him while he didn't expect it. He had a feeling the headmaster would probably be doing the same.

'Well, I do owe them a lot. So this much shouldn't matter…...'

Probably.

He still needed to pay them back, though. Maybe he could get a job? It wouldn't be much, but it was a start.

But where could he, without previous work employment in this world, find a steady and comfortable job?

Hmm….he needed to think more on this later.

"What about my classmates?" Naruto then asked. If there was someone in his class who was talented enough to help him, then he would probably attend classes to get to know them. "Can you tell me anything about them?"

Tengan considered the question for a moment before smiling.

"I'm afraid that's something you'll have to learn on your own. They don't know anything about you, so it would be unfair if you found out about them, don't you think?"

Naruto grumbled.

Stingy old man.

What Tengan failed to mention to the blond were the online comment boards filled with information about Hope's Peak Academy and its students. Not just that, but that his name would also be on there soon enough.

But it wasn't like he was lying to the poor boy...sort of.

Hehehe.


The next several days went by faster, albeit tediously. Other than trying to get acquainted with the inner-workings of this new world, there wasn't much else for Naruto to do. Studying wasn't exactly his forte. And without shadow clones to back him up, it was a slow process. Thankfully, the language was the same here as it was back in his world. Having to learn a whole new language would have been…..disastrous to say the least. The only interesting part was his job-hunt. He had applied to several places during his search, only to be rejected. His search had seem almost hopeless, until he stumbled upon a little ramen shop in the downtown area. A nice old man ran the whole place, but it seemed like he was getting too old to keep doing all the work on his own.

Naruto had applied for a position on the spot.

So that was fun. He could now earn money while being surrounded by ramen. It was a dream come true for him. He could also start paying Tengan and the school the money he owed, even though the old man kept insisting it wasn't necessary. Naruto wasn't one to let his debts go unanswered, after all.

All in all, his new life here was starting to shape into something a lot different from the one back in Konoha. There was less violence, less fighting for his life, and had an overall mundane feel to it.

Naruto didn't know whether this was bad or not.

Anyhow, all of that was just the icing on the cake for what his new life was all about.

Hope's Peak Academy was the cake itself.

Naruto realized this as he stood before the massive school, his invitation letter in hand. Jin had mailed it to him a few days ago. He had brought it with him for reference.

'I'm supposed to meet at the gym….'

It was the first time he would be attending a "normal" school, so he was feeling a bit hesitant. But he couldn't let that feeling take hold. He needed to do this, for his friends back home, for himself.

Yes. That's right. This was necessary for his future.

With his resolve renewed, Naruto took his first steps toward Hope's Peak Academy.

What would the future hold for him here?

One thing was certain: things would never be the same for the blond after this.


Done and done.

Not much else to say, but thanks for the support.

Till next time.