Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.
Chapter 6:
The Ultimate Camping Experience Part 1
Kirigiri Jin started his day like any other day. He got up early, silently wishing for more sleep, washed and readied himself in one of his suits, and left his home for Hope's Peak Academy. He tried to be there as early as possible to set a good example to the rest of his staff. That is, unless he had other business that kept him away from his office, such as dealing with the board. With the participants of the dreadful experiment already being narrowed, there was much to do these days. As headmaster, he needed to oversee certain aspects of the experiment. Thankfully, he did not have anything planned like that today. Having to sit down and face those men, who were so sure of their "ultimate" power…...it was enough to make Jin sick to his stomach.
He decided to not dwell on such thoughts and instead focus on what the day would bring him. As he arrived at his office, he found his first surprise of the day waiting for him on one of the seats in front of his desk.
"Oh, so you're here…..."
Chuckling, Tengan said, "You don't sound particularly happy to see me."
"It's not that. You rarely come in early these days, or at all," Jin responded as he sat down on his comfortable chair behind his desk. "I wasn't expecting to see you today. Did something come up?"
"You could say that." Tengan handed him a piece of paper with crude handwriting on it. "I found this on your desk. It's from one of our new students."
Jin read through the paper quickly, his eye twitching as he did. "This is just…..."
Amusement was very clear on Tengan's face. "Yes. It seems Kizakura-kun's class will be making a trip on their own. Without their teacher."
Jin nearly slammed the paper on his desk. "What is that man doing, not looking after them properly!?"
"You should have expected this. Kizakura-kun isn't really the teaching type. When dealing with students, especially as wild as them, one must have a very…...peculiar personality to be able to keep up with them."
"That's no excuse."
"Well, it's not like anything can be done now," Tengan said. He'd already read the note himself. "I don't think we could stop them, even if we wanted to. Especially since it seems Uzumaki-kun is leading them."
The note had a very clear signature on it: the great and awesome Uzumaki Naruto, or so it said.
Jin looked around his office, trying to see if anything was out of place. "How did that boy get in here?"
Tengan had a key, which Jin had been kind enough to give him out of respect. It wasn't a privilege Tengan used much either. No other teacher had one, not even Koichi.
"Hahaha. It seems that boy is full of surprises," Tengan said, stroking his beard. "Given his title, I don't think we should be too dumbfounded."
Jin stood up from his seat and walked over to the window behind him, his hand tucked inside his pant's pocket.
"I was going to ask him to come in today, as a matter of fact. Though that option is no longer open it seems."
"Hm?" Tengan looked on with curiosity. "What for?"
"The committee wants to see his skills in person. They were going to have him complete a test for them, for their research. It was to be completed as soon as possible, they said."
"I see. Well, that does make sense. Unlike the others, his talent has yet to truly be seen by the world."
Jin kept his face blank, despite how amused he really was with this development. "It looks like they're going to be kept waiting."
Tengan didn't bother with appearances and laughed. "It would appear so…..."
It would annoy the committee greatly, and Tengan and Jin would both savor that annoyance.
Was it petty? Perhaps. Did they care?
Not one bit.
Nagito stood in front one of the great fountains surrounding Hope's Peak Academy, his eyes staring blankly at it. He had his bag at his side. He wore a pair of brown shorts with a plain white t-shirt underneath a simple olive hoodie. He was dressed for the outdoors, as today was the day he and his class would be going on their trip set up by Naruto.
The boy was having doubts about all of this, though, which was why he was here instead of meeting by the front gates like they had planned. Fuyuhiko had not only prepared a location for them, but was also providing them with a ride. He was the heir of the largest and most powerful yakuza organization in the country, so Nagito wasn't surprised that Fuyuhiko would be able to pull this off. It was more along the lines of, "as expected of Fuyuhiko" or something.
This wasn't what Nagito's current predicament was about, though. Even though Naruto had said that it was alright for him to go, Nagito wasn't sure if he should. Was he really worthy to be around the others? Maybe he was overstepping his bounds. He was nothing compared to all these great Ultimates. Just a lowly human. And yet, to be gifted the chance to have fun with them…...it was great luck indeed. But was it something he could do? More precisely, was it something he was allowed to do?
"Hmm…...this is highly troubling," Nagito muttered absentmindedly, not sure what to do about this.
"Hm? What the heck are you doing here, Nagito?"
The Ultimate Lucky Student turned back to see none other than Naruto making his way to him. The blond was in sweats. The orange was enough to make anyone instantly notice him. Nagito could tell by now that Naruto's fashion sense was…...odd, and that was putting it mildly.
Nagito didn't comment on that and said, "Oh, Uzumaki-kun. What are you doing here? I thought you would be meeting with Kuzuryu-kun by the front gates."
"I got a text from Mikan," Naruto answered, pulling out his phone. It was through Sonia's suggestion the day before that they had all traded numbers with one another. Except for Akane who apparently didn't have a phone, saying it was too troublesome. Thankfully Nekomaru promised to make sure she was kept in the loop about their plans if anything changed. That girl would need a phone in the future, though. Naruto wasn't even from this world and he had one. He was still figuring out how everything worked, but he was getting there.
"Tsumiki-san?" Nagito seemed surprised. "Is something the matter?"
"Dunno, she wouldn't say anything specific." Even in text, the girl was a stuttering mess. Naruto pocketed the phone and said, "What about you? Shouldn't you be going to see the others by now?"
Nagito sighed and looked down. "To be honest, I'm having second thoughts about my participation on this trip of ours." He then smiled. "Ah, but it's nothing for you to concern yourself over. You don't need to worry over scum like me."
Naruto scratched his cheek and stared at Nagito with utter confusion. "Ya know, I've thought about this for a while, but…...you're really weird."
"Hahaha. That's the first time someone's told me that so bluntly." Nagito's smile widened a little. "It's somewhat refreshing, if I'm being honest."
"Yeah, you are weird. But so is everyone else. I have no idea why you think you shouldn't go. Unless you just don't want to get along with the others."
"You really are straightforward, aren't you, Uzumaki-kun?" Nagito crossed his arms, his face displaying nothing but admiration right now. "I've been thinking about something myself for a while, and it was confirmed to me yesterday. You really are this group's leader."
"Leader?" Naruto thought about that for a moment, his mind trying to come to terms with what Nagito was implying. In the end, he only had one thing to say about that. "I don't think I'm anyone's leader. I'm just trying to get along with the others."
"Oh, but you must see it by now," Nagito insisted, not willing to back down from his point. "Little by little, the are others are starting to crowd around you. Through you, they have been able to come to together as one for today. If you weren't here, I don't think that would be possible."
"Maybe." Naruto was willing to admit that Nagito had a point there, but still. "I don't think it's a matter of being a leader or not. Everyone just needs a push in the right direction. Deep down, they're all good people. I'm sure they'll be able to form bonds with one another, with or without me."
"You say that with such certainty." Something flashed in Nagito's eyes, but Naruto couldn't tell what it was. Maybe more admiration? Or perhaps disagreement? "We've only known each other for two days. How can you be so certain of their character?"
Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. It's just how I feel. And I've been told I'm an excellent judge of character. It's actually one of my better character points."
Nagito chuckled. "You really are fascinating, Uzumaki-kun. I can tell, you face everything with optimism."
Naruto had to think about that as well. It was almost like Nagito was making him reevaluate certain aspects of his life.
"I don't know about that," the blond said after a few moments. "Now, I can say that I have more hope than anything else. But in the past, it wasn't always like that."
"Oh?" Nagito leaned in a little closer. "What does that mean?"
Scratching his cheek, Naruto said, "It's not a big deal, but there was a time when I thought nothing of the future. I had no hope for anything. I didn't aspire for any goals. I just…..felt nothing but misery. I was only able to get out of that hole through the connections I was able to form." Naruto looked past Nagito toward the fountain where water continued to fall to the bottom. "Recently, something similar happened to me. I was forced to face the fact that I may be all alone again. Instead of letting that crush me, though, I've decided to look at the more positive side of things. It's what I've learned from the past. That's why I'm able to move on. That includes my friendship with the others, and you of course."
Nagito, who had listened to every word Naruto had to say, felt his emotions course through him again. He was positively elated right now.
"Hahahaha! That's absolutely wonderful, Uzumaki-kun! Even though you didn't tell me the full story, I was still able to see the strong hope that you have! It's better than I could have imagined!" Nagito sighed and looked down. "You are the exact opposite of me. I've never once thought about my future. I've been living my life with no true purpose in mind. How disappointing of me, isn't it?"
Naruto sweatdropped. "There you go again. Seriously. We need to get you to think things through before you say them."
"Hm? But I mean every word, Uzumaki-kun." Nagito shook his head. "Someone like me could never lie to you. It's just not possible. That's why you can trust my words. The hope you have in your heart…...I'm sure it'll be able to guide everyone else to even greater heights! As long as you continue to lead them, their talents will be able to shine to their absolute best! That is what I believe."
"Sheesh, you're putting too much faith in someone like me," Naruto said, shaking his head as well. "I'm just doing what I feel like. I have no true plan, or ulterior motive or anything." He walked around Nagito and closer to the fountain. "Now enough with all this serious talk. We have a fun week ahead of us. We won't be coming back till Friday. Get more excited!"
"So you really are okay with someone like me tagging along?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't make me repeat myself. It's annoying."
Before Nagito could respond, another voice reached them from afar.
"U-Uzumaki-san! I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting!" It was Mikan. She had chosen to wear a navy blue skirt, with her right leg and left arm all covered in bandages still, and a rather simple white t-shirt. She had a bag in hand too, just like Naruto and Nagito. It was a rather simple outfit, but Naruto still thought the girl looked pretty cute. Then again, all the girls in his class were beautiful in one way or another.
Naruto waved at her. "Hey, Mikan. Glad to see you could make it."
"Y-Yes!" The girl stopped in front of the boys, a hand over her heart. "It's the first time I'm doing something like this, s-so I'm really excited…..." Her eyes widened. "Aaaaaahhhh! But I should also stay focus, s-since I need to make sure everyone stays healthy! I can't lose sight of my goal!"
"You're stressing over nothing. The others can all handle themselves." Probably.
Nagito chuckled. "Still, if anything does come up, I feel better knowing Tsumiki-san is there to help us."
Mikan nearly shrieked, her head already coming up with every worst scenario on the planet. "I-I won't fail!"
Naruto was ready to smack Nagito upside the head. "You're not helping right now." Better to just move on before Mikan was mentally crushed under the pressure. "Anyway, do you need something before we leave?"
"A-Ah, yes! Thank you for reminding me!" Reaching into her bag, Mikan pulled out some sheets of papers and shyly passed them to Naruto, who took them with a curious look. "I-I was working on this all night…..it's a list of proper meals to a healthy diet."
This girl…...
Naruto lowered the papers and looked at Mikan with confusion. "Why would you do something like that…...?"
Mikan poked her fingers together. "Because…..I-I believe it's better if you don't eat ramen every day…..."
She took him serious yesterday?
"Mikan, you didn't have to take my words that serious, ya know," Naruto said sheepishly. "I do love ramen, yeah, and I try to it as much as possible. But even I've learned that I need vegetables and other sources of food in order to be healthy."
Sakura and Tsunade had drilled that into him, as had Jiraiya during their training trip. There was also his mother telling him to eat healthy. He couldn't say no to her.
Tears swell around Mikan's eyes. "T-Then…...I was just meddling, like I thought! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm so useless!"
"No, it's not like that either!" Time for damage control. "This is really helpful! Having your guide will probably help me out a lot more since you're an expert on this stuff!" Not a complete lie. Naruto had never bothered to learn about food science, or whatever it was called. He just ate what he could. It wasn't until later in life where he could be more picky. And in this situation…...
Mikan clutched her hands over her chest, still teary-eyed. "T-Then…I was able to help you…..?"
"Yeah." Naruto patted her on the head with a smile. "I appreciate this. I'll make sure to follow your advice as much as I can. I promise. And I never break my promises."
The way Mikan's face turned all bright was enough of a reward for Naruto.
Nagito, who had watched the back-and-forth with great enjoyment, chuckled and said, "Wow. It's almost like Tsumiki-san is your own personal nurse, huh, Uzumaki-kun?"
"Personal nurse…...?" Mikan repeated, her face turning thoughtful at that.
"Oh yeah?" Naruto didn't give Nagito's words too much thought, instead choosing to place Mikan's notes in his bag. To him, it was like Nagito was making a joke. Nothing to get too serious over.
Mikan didn't see it that way, though. "Yes! That must be it! I can be Uzumaki-san's private nurse!"
Naruto and Nagito went silent at her proclamation, neither boy knowing how to react. It didn't last long, though, as Nagito broke down in laughter.
"Hahaha. I see, I see."
Naruto quickly grabbed the laughing Nagito by his hoodie and brought him closer.
"Oi, what the hell are you doing!?" the blond hissed. He didn't want Mikan worrying about unnecessary things.
"I honestly didn't think she would take me seriously," Nagito admitted, mirth dancing in his eyes. "But now that she has, you can't turn her down, can you? You're a nice guy, right, Uzumaki-kun?"
This guy…...
"I-Is something the matter?" Mikan asked, looking worried. "Did I say something I shouldn't have…...?"
Sighing, Naruto let Nagito go and scratched the back of his head. A part of him was seriously questioning whether or not to go through with this. But the rest of him knew there was nothing wrong with it either. Mikan was a nice girl. She just wanted to help others. She would probably offer her support like this to anyone who needed. There really was no reason for him to turn her down and crush her spirits like that.
"No, it's okay. If you want to be my nurse and help me out on my diet, then I don't mind. Helping each other is what friends are all about."
Mikan's face brightened again. "Y-Yes! That's it! I won't let you down, Uzumaki-san! I promise to always give you lots of shots if you need them!"
Naruto paled. "Oi, oi. Let's not be hasty now."
Nagito meanwhile was shaking his head. "You really are a sneaky one, Uzumaki-kun. Or do you not understand what's happening here…...?"
After picking up his bag, Naruto glanced at Nagito. "What are you talking about now?"
"Ah." Nagito was beginning to put it all together. "I see. I understand what kind of guy you are now, Uzumaki-kun."
"Okay?" Naruto had no idea what the guy was talking about, so he didn't pay too much thought to it. "Anyway, we should get going. We don't want to be late for the meeting, do we?"
"Absolutely not!" Mikan said, looking determined. "I have prepared everything we might need!"
She wasn't going to let her class down!
Naruto waved her off. "Seriously, Mikan. You need to take things less seriously sometimes….."
As the two began to walk toward the main gate, Nagito stayed back for a bit, his eyes focused solely on Naruto's retreating form. His theory had been right, after all. Naruto really was someone that could bring about the change he wanted. To be so close to that, to be able to see it with his own two eyes…...
'Hahahaha! I really am lucky!'
With those hopeful thoughts in his heart, Nagito picked up his bag and followed after the retreating pair.
This trip was going to be very fun for him.
At the front gates, Fuyuhiko was getting ready to strangle Kazuichi, no questions asked. Why? Because having to hear the mechanic gush over Sonia had long since become too unbearable to stand for him.
"Man, I can't wait to see what Miss Sonia looks like while she's wearing casual clothes," Kazuichi said, his cheeks red. His imagination was his limit, and he could imagine quite a bit.
For today, Kazuichi had chosen to wear a pair of blue ripped jeans and a bright purple sport jacket. Despite the season, it was still a bit chilly out.
Fuyuhiko was draped in another dark suit. It's the style he was most comfortable with, even when out doing something physical.
There were two black SUV's parked out beside them, both belonging to the Kuzuryu clan. They were able to fit nine people each, which was perfect for them. The cars were here to take them to their destination. There were drivers for them both, the two men in suits being members of the Kuzuryu clan. Inside the cars, tents and other supplies had been packed. Fuyuhiko had made sure to plan for everything. Embarrassingly, he was kinda looking forward to this. It was the first time he was hanging out casually with teens his age.
Better not dwell on that, though.
"Would you shut up about that already?" Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head. "Start thinking about something else. It'll be good for you."
"Don't be like that!" Kazuichi said. He felt a bit more comfortable being around Fuyuhiko now than before, probably because Fuyuhiko had shown a more friendly side yesterday. "We're high school students! We have to enjoy every opportunity that comes our way!"
"Every opportunity, huh?" Fuyuhiko had to smirk a little here. "Does that mean you're hoping for something to happen during this trip?"
"That's exactly it!" Kazuichi practically squealed as his mind went into overdrive due to all the fantasies running in his head. But then he pointed an accusing finger at Fuyuhiko. "Ah, but Miss Sonia is off limits! I don't care who you go after, but you can't betray me!"
"Betray you?" Fuyuhiko sighed and looked away. "Don't be stupid."
Kazuichi scratched his cheek and looked at Fuyuhiko with curiosity. "Oh? Does that mean you're gunning for someone else?"
"You really are an idiot."
Kazuichi grinned. "Awww, don't be like that. You can tell me who it is. Everyone catches feelings. There's no shame in that!"
"Seriously, shut up."
"Tell me~"
"No."
"You stingy bastard~"
Fuyuhiko's eye twitched, but he didn't rise to the bait. He felt he would lose some of his dignity if he let someone like Kazuichi rile him up.
"Oh my, my, my! What a fun duo!"
The two boys barely caught sight of Ibuki who sprinted up to them before dropping her bag next to the cars. She was dressed in her usual outlandish getup, personally designed. All purple, black, and white. Just her colors.
"Ibuki was expecting to be here first!" the girl said excitedly with an arm raised.
"There's no way you can beat me in excitement!" Kazuichi fired back. "It's the first time I'm going on a trip like this. I've got to make sure everything goes perfect!"
The mechanic wasn't shy about admitting to any of that.
"Hmm. Ibuki understands quite well." Ibuki crossed her arms and nodded to herself. "Ibuki felt the same way when Ibuki first went camping with Ibuki's friends. It was quite fun."
Fuyuhiko bowed his head a little. 'Idiots…...already calling one another friends….'
He had to hide his smile.
Kazuichi scratched his cheek. "Huh. I guess it is kinda natural for people to go camping, huh? Especially with friends."
"Indeed!" Ibuki raised her arm again. "However, Ibuki intends to make this one better than before! You always have to make goals, otherwise you won't succeed!"
Kazuichi backed away from the excited girl a little, chuckling weakly. Ibuki had more energy than he could handle honestly.
After that, Mahiru and Hiyoko arrived together, the former sporting some form-fitting shorts and t-shirt while the latter was in another one of her fancy kimonos.
The others, including Mahiru, shook their heads in dismay at this fact.
Peko trailed after them soon after, sword in hand, followed by Nekomaru, Akane, and Teruteru who all arrived together. Akane was munching on some meat, which had been prepared for her by Teruteru.
"Hmhmhmhmm." The cook hummed, pleased to see the gymnast wolfing his food down. "It always brings great joy to my heart to see people enjoy my cooking."
Hiyoko snickered. "To already be this hungry so soon…...what a meathead."
No matter what, she could never stop teasing people. It was just the way she was.
Akane ignored her outright, preferring to eat her food instead. She was nearly crying. It was the best meal she'd ever had.
Nekomaru chose not to comment, too busy making sure Akane didn't choke. At the speed she was devouring that piece of meat, it was highly likely.
Gundham chose to stroll on in next, a huge bag in hand as well. He was more or less in the same getup when they first met him. Like Ibuki, he liked to accessorize all his clothes. It just made him feel more comfortable that way.
Kazuichi noticed something. "You're bringing your hamsters too?"
"That is right." Gundham didn't face him to answer, instead choosing to place his bag by the cars just like others had. "It's been some time since they've come across a new challenge. They have to be tested once more."
Despite his words, just about everyone knew that there was no way he was going to let anything happen to his hamsters. It was just obvious.
Well, maybe Akane didn't. But she was more focused on the last few pieces of meat in front of her to care.
Chiaki arrived just as a black limousine pulled over by the gates, surprising everybody.
"Huh? What is this?" Hiyoko asked the question on everybody's mind. "Did someone call a limousine or something?"
Her question was answered a moment later when Sonia stepped out with the driver coming around to pull out her belongings. Her face brightened when she saw the others.
"Everyone! It is nice to see you!"
Kazuichi's eyes sparkled. "Miss Sonia! I'm so glad you made it!"
Mahiru gaped at the limousine. "Did you really have to come in that, though?"
Sonia bowed. "My apologies. This is just the transportation my parents found to be the most acceptable for me during my time here."
"I don't mind it!" Kazuichi shot her a thumbs up. "It's pretty cool!"
"Disgusting," Hiyoko muttered with a roll of her eyes.
Fuyuhiko sighed and took charge again. "Whatever. It looks like almost everyone is here by now."
Peko looked around. "We're only missing Mitarai-san, Tsumiki-san, Komaeda-san, and Naruto-san."
Fuyuhiko opened his mouth to say something, but loss his train of thought when he spotted Ryota heading for them with a pile of food in hand. A huge pile of food…..junk food to be exact. Chips, sodas, hamburgers, the like.
Akane's nose instantly twitched and was led to Ryota. "Woah." She had to whistle. "That's a lot of food you got there." She grinned. "Wanna share?"
"I think not." Ryota's answer was short and to the point. But then he added, "This is going to be my lifeline during our time in that jungle. I need to be prepared at all costs."
Kazuichi deadpanned. "It's only camping, dude."
"I'm also going to be doing all the cooking," Teruteru pointed out, looking at all the junk food with unease. For someone like him, this was just the worst.
Ryota was having none of it. "As I recall, you didn't bring any supplies with you, right?"
Teruteru poked his fingers together, ashamed. "Y-Yes…..but that's only because Uzumaki-kun told me not to!"
"That fiend," Gundham said, his arms crossed, "I wonder what he plans to do?"
"I'm sure it's going to be fine," Chiaki said, deciding to speak for the first time. "Besides, I brought a lot of games with me that we can play. So everything is going to be alright."
Mahiru smiled uneasily. "Umm…..food and games are two separate things, you know."
"Hm? I know." Chiaki tilted her head. "But if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose games."
"That's only because you're a game freak," Hiyoko said in a dry tone.
Chiaki didn't look insulted at all. "Is there something wrong with that?"
Hiyoko was too baffled to say anything else.
"Hey! It looks like everyone made it!"
Speak of the devil. Naruto finally made his appearance with Nagito and Mikan right behind him.
Fuyuhiko scowled a bit. "The one who plans this is the last one to arrive. Way to go."
"Ah." Nagito smiled. "I think that may have been my fault. We got caught up talking. I apologize to everyone for the inconvenience."
"It's not," Mahiru said, hands on her hips. "We just got here ourselves. Kuzuryu is just being over dramatic for no reason."
Fuyuhiko t'ched but didn't chew her out. "Whatever. We need to get a move on if we're going to find a good camp site before it starts getting dark."
Naruto waved him off. "Calm down, Fuyuhiko. We have plenty of time. We just have to enjoy ourselves."
Peko crossed her arms and said, "You say that, but I hear that you didn't have food prepared for us. What are we going to eat?"
Naruto turned to her and was somewhat surprised to see the swordswoman in a cute floral shirt and dark jeans. It gave her a different vibe than before. It certainly made her look cuter than normal.
"I didn't think you were into flowers, Peko. But it suits you."
Peko nearly blushed at this. "T-That…it's not important right now."
Fuyuhiko smirked. "She's always had a more girlish side like that."
"Huh?" Sonia glanced at Fuyuhiko with curiosity. "Always? Do you two know each other?"
Realizing his mistake, Fuyuhiko mentally cursed and tried to recover, "N-Not really, no. I just saw her sometimes during different kendo competitions. Many young clan members participated in them from time to time, so I checked them out too."
Something in Naruto's gut was telling him that there was more to that story than what Fuyuhiko was saying, but there was no way to know for sure.
Gundham was more focused on something else entirely. "There's something else we need to discuss. And that's about our supplies on this excursion. What are you-"
"Geez, take it easy, guys." Naruto dropped his bag next to the other ones. At this point, the drivers started to put them in the cars as everyone was already here. "We'll have everything we'll need out there when we're camping."
"Wait, you expect us to get our own food!?" Hiyoko shouted with wide eyes.
Naruto shrugged, not seeing the problem. "Yeah. As long as we get the ingredients, Teruteru can cook it for us, right?"
Teruteru ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "That is true. There's nothing I can't cook. Just get me the ingredients I need, and I'll have your panties drop."
No one commented on that. They were at that point where they were starting to sort of get used to each other's quirks.
"Hunting, huh?" Nekomaru grunted and nodded. "It does sound like it can be fun."
Gundham cackled. "Fuhahahahaha! Relying on just our natural wits and skills…truly, this is a challenge worth my time!"
"It does sound like fun!" Sonia's eyes were sparkling as she practically squealed. "I will make sure to not fall behind!"
Kazuichi scratched the back of his head, looking indecisive about what to say. "W-Well…if Miss Sonia is okay with it, then I guess it's fine…"
Mikan poked her fingers together. "I-I will make sure to give it my all too…."
Ibuki was bouncing in place. "Ibuki will put her skills to the test! If not, shame shall befall Ibuki's honor!"
Mahiru tried to placate her. "You don't have to go that far…."
Hiyoko pouted. "This is gonna be a pain…"
"Hm?" Chiaki, who was already on another game, briefly looked up. "I think it's fine…maybe."
She didn't have any experience with camping, which was why she was more than willing to leave this up to the others.
Ryota wasn't all that thrilled about this development, though, but at least he had brought plenty of snacks with him. That should keep him alive…...hopefully.
Nagito chuckled. "Yes, that does make a camping trip a lot more fun."
"As long as we get food, then I don't care," Akane said. She then looked at Naruto. "But you gotta remember our deal! We gotta have that fight!"
"I haven't forgotten, Akane. I'll make sure to give you the ass-whooping you looking for."
Akane growled but kept herself in check. She would made the blond eat his words later.
"Can we finally get a move on now?" Fuyuhiko made his way over to the lead car, shaking his head as he did so.
"Yeah, yeah." Naruto trailed behind him, picking the lead car as well.
Mikan was quick to follow him, sticking by his side like glue. Mahiru and Hiyoko followed next, as did Sonia and Gundham. Seeing this, Kazuichi tried to get inside too, only to be beaten to the punch by none other than Nagito.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Soda-kun. I didn't think you were going to sit here." To his credit, Nagito sounded very genuine.
The mechanic looked like he was just smacked in the face. He glanced past Nagito to inside the vehicle. There, he saw Sonia seated next to Gundham, talking excitedly about something.
He needed to be in there goddammit!
Fuyuhiko, who had taken the passenger's seat next to the driver, scowled and pointed to the other car. "Just get in the other car, Soda. There's room in that one."
Kazuichi nearly whimpered as he turned to the second car, his shoulders sagging.
Nagito watched him go and frowned a little. "I feel like I've done something bad here…."
Naruto poked his head out and grinned. "Na, don't worry about it. He's just mad he can't sit next to Sonia."
The guy was desperate for sure. It made Naruto wonder if Sonia knew about Kazuichi's intentions. She had to have some kind of clue, right? It was pretty obvious, after all. If it was him, he would know right away!
"Ah, I understand." Nagito stepped inside with the others. "I'll have to apologize later then."
Mahiru shook her head. "I don't think Sonia minds….."
The blonde princess was too busy gushing over the trip to comment.
And so, it was Naruto, Mikan, Fuyuhiko, Sonia, Gundham, Mahiru, Hiyoko, and Nagito in the first car. In the second, it was Chiaki, Teruteru, Kazuichi, Peko, Akane, Nekomaru, Ibuki, and Ryota.
The trip was officially beginning!
"I know it's probably a little late to be asking this, but where are we going exactly?"
Fuyuhiko smirked and answered Mahiru with, "I chose one of the best spots near us. It's got a lake, bike trails, and even a nearby mountain for hiking."
"I don't think anyone brought a bicycle with them," Mahiru said, humming in thought. Her face lit up. "Still, it sounds like it's a great place. I can't wait to take pictures of everyone there."
Nagito smiled. "Ah, that's right. From what I've heard, you prefer taking pictures of people more than anything else, right?"
"Yeah." Mahiru looked down at her camera, which she carried with her at all times. It was her pride and joy. "I think capturing every moment, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, is very important. We have to make the best of ourselves….that's what I try to capture in my photos."
"That is glorious." Nagito's face was full of excitement. "You have a strong hope inside you, Koizumi-san. I am happy to be able to see it in person like this."
"Ah…..umm…hahaha, thanks…I guess." Mahiru didn't know what to say to that, so she merely tried to laugh.
Hiyoko on the other hand did have something to say. "Gross. Stop being such a creep already. It's gonna make me barf."
Nagito's face didn't lose any excitement. "My apologies. I said whatever was on my mind. I'm sure it was annoying for you."
In the back, Naruto shook his head. Nagito was still so weird.
Mikan, who had made sure to seat herself next to Naruto, glanced at him with curiosity. Why? Well, for one thing, Naruto had a book in hand. And he was reading it. Mikan didn't like to make judgements about other people if she could help it. That just guaranteed trouble for her. Still, in the short time she had come to know Naruto, she had never pegged him as the reading time. Not to mention…..
"U-Umm….Uzumaki-san…?"
Looking up from his book, Naruto noticed Mikan giving him a strange look. "Something the matter, Mikan?"
"I-It's not that…..I-it's just…...why are you reading a book about ancient warfare?"
"Ah." Naruto shut his book for a moment. "I was curious about the type of fighting that existed around here, so I looked up some stuff online with my phone." He was finally able to do that, thank the ramen god. "Sonia suggested some stuff to me too."
"Sonia-san did?"
Said girl smiled. "I'm glad I was able to be of assistance, Naruto!"
Gundham was curious now. "You apparition. Why do you desire to know about war?"
Mahiru had a sour look on her face. She wasn't all that fond about any topics relating to war. It was a semi-sensitive issue for her, after all.
Naruto thought about it for a moment and said, "Well…it's like I told you guys before. I'm not from around here. My village is very secluded from this world. They don't exactly bother to teach us anything about society here. I'm kinda ignorant on just about everything here, so I'm trying to remedy that."
Reading still sucked, though. He was having a hard time understanding a lot of the stuff the book was covering. He was more of a hands-on learner than anything else. That said….he was already seeing just how horrific the past was in this world. War after war, conflicts repeating themselves over and over again. It was like humans here never learned their lessons.
'Then again, neither did the shinobi until it was too late…'
"Most people wouldn't start with something like ancient battles and military tactics, ya know," Fuyuhiko said, finding it weird that that was the first thing the blond decided to look at.
Naruto shrugged. "It looked…...interesting?"
It wasn't exactly a lie…..he was just curious about how peace was handled in this world, or how it was met with failure at every turn.
Mikan started to fiddle with her hands nervously. "Y-You're not a fan of war, are you, Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto snorted at the question. "Me? No way. I'm on the opposite side of that. I just want to live a peaceful life and become-"
He stopped himself there.
Mikan stared at him with curiosity. "Become what?"
Naruto turned away to look out the window of the car. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Gundham h'mphed. "Such fraudulence. I believe you should practice what you preach and be more honest."
Turning back to look at them, Naruto laughed and placed his hands behind his head. "Na, it's cool. I'm here with you guys now. That's what we should be focusing on."
The others bought it, except for Mikan. To her, that laugh was absolutely fake. She would know.
She did it all the time, after all.
It took them a few hours before they were able to reach their campsite. There were facilities posted nearby where they could buy anything if necessary, but that wasn't Naruto's plan.
They were doing this all-natural-e!
But before any of that could get started, Naruto was grabbed by his shirt the moment he stepped out of the car. His assailant was none other than Akane who was glaring daggers at him.
"Alright, we're here, blondie. It's time for our fight!"
Hiyoko looked annoyed. "Stupid. You're such a hypermedia, Owari. It's annoying!"
"Hyper-….s'what? What is that? Some kind of food? Is it tasty?"
This girl…
"Slow down your horses, Akane." Naruto pulled himself out of her grasp with ease, surprising Akane a bit. "We still have to find a great spot for us to set camp. Then we can start talking about me whooping your ass to next week."
Akane growled, greatly annoyed. She didn't like being underestimated, not one bit. "Why you-!"
"Let it go, Owari." Nekomaru stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he did. "Otherwise, Imma get involved right now and put an end to this."
Instead of making Akane back down, that put a grin on her face. "Heh, sounds great to me! Just bring it on! I'll take both of you on at the same time!"
Hiyoko was about to smack her forehead in frustration. "She's so stupid!"
"So annoying," Kazuichi muttered.
For once, the two agreed about something.
"You fuckers better cut it out!" Fuyuhiko shouted, drawing attention to him. He raised his fist. "This is no time to be fucking around. We have stuff to get done!"
Teruteru rubbed his chin, his eyes dancing with pleasure. "Taking charge like that…..so marvelous…"
Ibuki shuddered. "SOOOOOO GRRRROOOOOOSSSSS!"
Mikan was just watching with fearful eyes, not knowing what was gonna happen here. She didn't want a fight to break out this fast. The others were sort of tense too, at least until the point where Naruto suddenly had Akane pinned to the ground with just one foot.
"What the-!" Kazuichi's eyes were wide right now. "How did that just happen!?"
Peko narrowed her eyes. 'As I thought….he's well-versed in hand combat as well….'
Akane, not realizing her position until a few moments later, began to struggle under the blond's grasp. "What the hell is this!? Let me go, blondie!"
Naruto didn't budge, though. "Not yet. Not until you behave yourself. We're all here to have a good time, Akane. Don't just start doing things on your own, or you'll cause friction for the group. And I can't have that. It would just be a pain in my ass."
"W-What did you just say….!?"
"I said your attitude is problematic." Naruto didn't hesitate to double down on his point, putting more pressure on his hold. "You're not on your own anymore. You have friends. We're one group. And when someone starts straying off and doing stuff on their own, it will cause problems. None of us need that right now. Got it?"
Akane struggled for a few more seconds but was forced to ultimately give in. She loved to fight, yes. But she wasn't delusional at all either. She could tell already. She could tell Naruto outclassed her. It was like she was facing Nekomaru all over again. Another person she couldn't beat. It made her excited, knowing there were stronger people out there. She just needed to become stronger then! But at the same time, deep down, she appreciated what the blond was saying.
The others felt the same way too, especially Nagito who was grinning at the sight.
'It's just as I thought…..the shining hope that will lead all the Ultimates to an even greater hope…..'
He might have just found it.
Once Akane was settled down and on track with the plan for the time being, the sixteen Ultimates unloaded their supplies from the cars with the help of the drivers. Fuyuhiko sent them off after that, saying that they could take it from here.
It was just them now.
Sonia squealed as the group began to march toward the forest, looking for a suitable place to set up their camp.
"This is marvelous! Nature is quite beautiful!"
Hiyoko stayed close to Mahiru, eyeing everything around her with suspicion. "Easy for you to say. This place is filthy."
"It is the outdoors….." Kazuichi mumbled, not knowing what the girl was expecting to see.
Ryota glanced around. "Are there going to be another people around?"
"I would suspect so," Nagito said in return. He hummed. "But then again, knowing Uzumaki-kun, he might have asked Kuzuryu-kun to choose a secluded spot."
"At least we saw those facilities nearby," Mahiru pointed out. "If anything goes bad, we can really on them."
"H'mph, foolish," Gundham said, his red eye glowing. "This is a test of survival! We should not rely on mere outsiders to help us!"
"Speak for yourself," Kazuichi said under his breath, slightly glaring at the breeder for walking next to his princess.
"Well, we'll be able to buy snacks at least." That's all Ryota cared about really.
Chiaki looked up from her game to say, "Is that really camp-like?"
"I don't think you should be asking that, considering you brought video games with you," Mahiru said, sweat dropping.
Chiaki considered that point for a moment before shrugging. "I've never been camping before, so I'm not sure what to expect."
"Do not worry, Nanami-san!" Sonia was next to her in a flash, holding the girl's hand with her own. "It is a first for me too! We shall learn together!"
Chiaki appreciated the encouragement.
"Man, forget all that," Akane whined. "I'm just hungry."
"I gave you a whole meal back at school!" Teruteru exclaimed, wide-eyed. "And you're hungry already!?"
"Heh." Nekomaru scoffed. "She's a bottomless pit. You gotta expect that from her."
While the group was busy talking amongst themselves, Naruto, Fuyuhiko, Mikan, Ibuki, and Peko were up front. Fuyuhiko had a map in hand which detailed the area they were in. Naruto was looking over it while Mikan stuck close to him. Peko was just curious to see what spot the boys would decide on, and Ibuki was still poking Naruto's cheeks whenever she could.
It was just her thing now.
"That's the lake you were talking about, right?"
"Yeah. It's down to the edge of the camping grounds. I hear you're allowed to go swimming if you want to."
Ibuki laughed. "Trying to see the girls in swimsuits? So bold, Fuyuhiko-chan!"
"T-That's not what I meant!" His cheeks were slightly red, though.
Naruto took this into consideration. "I'm sure the others would like that. But it'd be nice if we were farther in. Are there any streams nearby?"
Fuyuhiko looked at the map. "Hmm…there seems to be one located right in the middle of the forest."
Naruto's eyes scanned the stream in question on the map. From the looks of things, it seemed to run from the base of the mountain nearly all the way to the lake. Like Fuyuhiko said, it ran right through the middle of the forest.
That was perfect.
Looking around for a moment, Naruto stopped and gestured to Akane.
"Yo, Akane. I need a favor from you."
"Eh?" Akane didn't like the sound of that one bit. "What do you want? I'm starving, ya know."
Naruto smirked. "I need you to locate the best path to a nearby stream for us. If you do that, we can set up a lot quicker and have Teruteru cook something up for you too."
That was enough to motivate the girl. "Alright, leave it to me!"
She took off running, her skirt fluttering in the wind.
Fuyuhiko was confused. "What the hell was that for? We do have a map, ya know."
"Yeah, but she looked like she was about to fall over," Naruto responded. "Keeping her moving is the best way to make sure she's motivated."
Nekomaru chuckled. "Not bad. You seem to be able to handle her well."
"I used to be a lot like that too, so I kinda get it."
"Used to be?" Mahiru's face was amused. "I'd say you still are."
"Hey! I could be worse!"
"Awwww, don't worry, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki pinched his cheek. "We still love you, even though you're crazy and kinda dumb."
Naruto sulked while the others began to laugh.
Horrible, all of them!
It didn't take them that long to reach the stream thankfully, with Akane leading them. From there, it was only a matter of finding the best spot along the running water. There was a nice clearing that Nagito was able to spot for them, which they deemed good enough.
Lucky them.
They quickly set off to placing their tents, one for the guys and one for the girls.
Kazuichi was devastated. There went one of his fantasies of sleeping next to Sonia….and smelling her hair. Damn the world.
Teruteru got to work in bringing out his cooking supplies as well, since they would be needed.
Akane was drooling as she watched the cook set up his stuff. "What's on the menu for today, Hanamura!? Meat!?"
"Hmm." The short boy rubbed his chin in thought. "It depends on what Uzumaki-kun brings me. Once I have the ingredients, I can have a better idea of what to do with them."
"You don't have to worry about that," Naruto said as he joined them. He was twirling a kunai in hand with his pouch strapped to his side. "I'll make sure to gather a lot of stuff for you."
Nagito noticed the weapon and said, "That's impressive, Uzumaki-kun. You have tools too?"
"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't be a ninja without them, right?"
Mahiru eyed the weapon with some sense of apprehension. "Are you sure you can handle that thing? It wouldn't end well if you end up hurting yourself…."
"I-I would patch up Uzumaki-san if that happened!" Mikan shouted out, determined.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Have some more faith in me, guys. I've been around weapons like this for years." He then lowered his head. "If only I had brought more…..Imma have to make sure not to lose any of them, or I'll be in trouble."
It wasn't like any blacksmith were around.
Nagito crossed his arms. "Is that so? I think I might have a solution for you when we get back to Hope's Peak, Uzumaki-kun."
Naruto raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Let's start talking about the food dammit!" Akane exclaimed, her drool growing the more she thought about it.
"We just have to hunt some animals, right?" Sonia said, placing a hand under her lips. "Can we do that…...?"
Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "There are no rules against it around here, as far as I'm aware."
"We're gonna have to split up," Naruto said, drawing up his plan. "One group is gonna have to collect any edible plants around here, or anything else you can find."
"Huuuuuh!?" Hiyoko's face was aghast. "There's no way I can do something like that!"
Naruto gestured to Mikan. "I'm sure Mikan here can help us with that. Her medical knowledge will be a real handy tool for us."
"H-Huh?" Mikan's eyes went wide. She was appalled that Naruto would ever suggest something like that. "I can't do something like that…! If I made a mistake, then-!"
"Sheesh, have more confidence in yourself." Naruto placed a hand on her head, effectively silencing her. "We all trust your abilities here. There's no reason to be afraid."
Sonia flexed her arm. "Naruto is correct!"
Gundham glanced to the side. "You are the group's healer. Accept the role or begone."
Mahiru sweatdropped. "You don't have to put it like that…."
At least he was trying.
Ibuki excitedly raised her arm. "Ibuki will make sure to lend a hand!"
Naruto's eyes went to the others. "Peko-chan, Nekomaru, Gundham, and Akane. You're with me. I'd like some people to help Mikan, too…..."
"Oi, Ibuki just said Ibuki would help, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki pouted a little. "Ignoring a lady is really unmanly!"
Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. I heard you. I'd just like other people to help beside you two."
Nagito stepped forward. "I wouldn't mind lending a hand. It sounds like it could be fun."
"And I will as well," Sonia said, her eyes sparkling. "I won't let you down!"
"I-If Miss Sonia is going, then I guess I have no problem helping either," Kazuichi said while he scratched his cheek nervously. His confidence was lacking, but he was still going.
Naruto nodded. "There ya go, Mikan. You can tell them which stuff is edible and which isn't."
Teruteru let out a small whistle. "You can ask me too, just to make sure. I know my way around the wild, if I do say so myself."
"Strange," Peko said. "I thought you weren't from rural areas?"
"W-Who said anything about that?" Teruteru shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "A chef just has to know as much as he can! That's all!"
Nekomaru picked his ear. "Sounds suspicious."
"W-Well, it's the truth!" Teruteru turned to his cooking tools. "Anyway, you guys should get going. Otherwise, there won't be any food tonight."
Akane took off running like a bolt.
"Idiot," Nekomaru said. "She doesn't even know where we're going."
Mahiru placed her hands on her camera. "I guess I'll be taking a look around. See what's around with my eyes."
"I'll be coming with you, Big Sis." Hiyoko's eyes went to Ryota, Fuyuhiko, Teruteru, and Chiaki who remained. They weren't exactly a fun bunch in her opinion.
"I guess we're holding the camp," Fuyuhiko said and looked at those who remained.
Ryota was trying to open one of his bags of chips, Chiaki was busy playing her game, and Teruteru who was just…...Teruteru.
At least there was no danger coming. Otherwise, they'd be screwed.
The groups split off to gather the supplies, with Mahiru and Hiyoko going on their walk.
With Naruto's group, Akane was jumping on the trees over them, ready to catch their first prey.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Peko wondered, her sword hanging loosely behind her. "I don't think we're going to have that many big animals around here."
"Good question." Naruto's scanned the area, looking for anything of interest. "We're just gonna have to see what's available around here."
Gundham did the same, his eyes studying the trail. "Hmm…..my Four Dark Devas of Destruction aren't reporting anything of note yet either…..."
Naruto's head whipped to him in less than a second. "Are your hamsters actually going out tracking!?"
Gundham nearly fell back in surprise. "U-Uh, yes….?" For once, he didn't sound sure of himself, and that was saying something.
"I knew they were different from normal animals, but that's pretty cool." Naruto had seen many sentient animals before, but hamsters was a first for him.
Gundham fell into a fit of laughter. "Kekekekeke. It's only natural you would fall for the glamour of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction. You, of a lower class…...!"
Naruto twitched. "It still pisses me off when you say that…..."
Nekomaru and Peko watched from the side, highly amused.
"Heeeeeeeyyyyy!" Akane suddenly appeared on a tree branch over them, her face filled with excitement. "I found some rabbits! And deer! What do you say we gut them!?"
Morbid.
The group took off running with great speed with Akane guiding them. They came upon a clearing real fast, with Naruto and Peko spotting the rabbits in question to the side. Some deer were on the move the moment they set food inside the clearing.
"You ain't getting away from me!" Akane shouted as she shot like a bullet for the deer.
Naruto acted fast and pulled some shuriken from his pouch. Peko saw this, her eyes gleaming with interest. The blond sent the shuriken flying toward the running animals with ease. Akane had to stop when she noticed the small weapons flying ahead of her. The deer came falling down after being hit by the swarm of shuriken. The deer weren't alone. Peko had to turn back to see several rabbits pinned to the trees by kunai rather than shuriken.
'Incredible….I never even saw him pull out those kunai…'
Peko was starting to understand just how faster Naruto was. And it was frightening.
Nekomaru laughed. "Gahahahaha! That was an incredible display! I've never seen anything like it!"
Gundham was in agreement. "Indeed…you possess formidable skills, for a human."
Naruto took the compliments. He made for the rabbits with Peko in tow. Nekomaru ran for Akane since the girl looked ready to eat the deer raw if she had to. Gundham stayed in place for the moment, noting that his assistance was not required for the moment.
"You have a lot of experience with these tools," Peko commented as Naruto pulled one of the kunai from the trees. "As much as I have with my sword, I'd say."
"I've been taught how to handle them since I was a kid," Naruto admitted, wiping one of the kunai with a cloth he had brought with him. "I've never been one for swords or anything like that. Not my style."
Peko's lips twitched a little. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be insulted or not right now."
"I hope not. The last thing I need is a girl with a sword after my ass. I want to live thank you very much."
Peko shook her head and decided to take it all in stride.
Gundham walked up to them, his Dark Devas now back in his scarf. "My subordinates have much to report about this area…..."
"Hm?" Naruto continued cleaning his weapons. "What is it?"
Gundham motioned to the woods around them. "It seems as though we are adjacent to a hunting ground…..it would explain why we were able to find such a bountiful harvest."
Peko crossed her arms. "Peculiar. I didn't think a camp ground site would be next to something like that. It seems awfully dangerous."
"Or maybe we're not supposed to be in this part of the woods," Naruto pointed out.
"Are you suggesting we move our camp site somewhere else?" Peko asked.
Naruto didn't need to think about it. "No way. We found a great spot. We'll just have to tell the others to stay away from this area unless we're out hunting."
"I don't know whether to respect your confidence, or be shocked by it," Peko said while shaking her head.
Naruto shrugged. "You should go with the first one."
Peko merely shook her head some more.
With Nekomaru's help, the group was able to bring back the three deer that Naruto had killed without any problems. Naruto and Akane carried the rabbits while Peko and Gundham led their little batch back to camp. Hopefully Mikan and the others were able to find something for them to cook with all this meat.
Naruto's head was filled with the delicious meal that awaited him when suddenly Gundham stopped dead in his tracks.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Akane said, huffing. "We're carrying a lot of smelly stuff here. And I'm starving!"
Gundham didn't reply. He looked back the way they had come, his eyes hardened. It was the first time Naruto was seeing the breeder so serious.
Naruto was about to speak until Gundham took off running in the direction they had come, not saying a word.
The blond nearly cursed.
"What's up with him?" Nekomaru wondered, watching Gundham disappear into the woods.
Acting fast, Naruto handed the dead rabbits to Peko. "Get back to camp with the others. I'll handle Gundham!"
Peko was unable to get a word in before Naruto sped after Gundham.
Akane's face was marred with confusion. "What the heck was all that about?"
Neither Peko nor Nekomaru had an answer for her.
By the time Naruto caught up to Gundham, he found the breeder crouching behind a bush. Naruto was about to call out to him until the sound of screeches reached his ears. It was so loud it surprised Naruto. How had he missed it until now?
Naruto was able to see who was making those sounds when he stopped next to the crouching Gundham: it was a baby red fox. A very beautiful baby red fox. But a very injured baby red fox. Blood was running down one of its legs from some sort of injury; Naruto couldn't tell what the injury was exactly.
"We need to get the healer here at once."
Naruto's eyes went to Gundham. "You….you heard it crying in pain, didn't you?" From that distance…..Naruto hadn't been able to hear a thing at all.
"H'mph. Who do you think I am?" Gundham retorted. "I am the Warlock, Tanaka Gundham! I possess skills beyond your comprehension!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Naruto cut him off before he could start rambling. They'd be here all day otherwise. He scooped up the injured fox in his arms, making sure to not cause it further pain as he did. He ignored the blood that stained his clothes.
Gundham got up to his feet and said, "Surprising…...most humans don't know what to do when faced with a dying animal."
"I'm not a regular human." Naruto looked down at the bleeding fox with a somber look. "Besides, my life has been saved more than once by a grumpy old fox. I guess it's my turn now."
Gundham's face turned blank for a moment, almost like he was trying to decipher the meaning behind those words.
Naruto started to run back towards camp. "Oi, let's move. Now that we know what we have here, I'm not going to let this fox die."
Those words helped Gundham return to reality.
The two boys ran as fast as they could.
Back at camp, Mikan and the others had made it back thankfully. Naruto wasted no time in running up to her.
"Mikan! We need your help!"
"E-Eh?" The nurse was startled, her eyes taking in all the blood smeared on Naruto's clothes. "Uzumaki-san, your clothes-!"
"Forget that now! You gotta save this little guy right here!"
Mikan turned her focus onto the baby fox. "B-But, Uzumaki-san, I'm not a veterinarian! I can't look after an animal!"
Naruto didn't flinch. "Mikan, I know you can. It may be difficult, but I have faith in your abilities."
Those encouraging words again…..they served to light something inside Mikan.
"Y-You really do….?"
"Yes. I wouldn't be asking for your help otherwise."
Mikan saw the seriousness in Naruto's eyes, the conviction behind his voice. It was more than enough to make her come to her decision.
"I'll do it."
Smiling, Naruto handed the kit to Mikan who hurried to the girls' tent. There wasn't a second to waste.
By this point, the others were already gathering to see what was happening.
"What's going on?" Mahiru asked, who had also returned. "Did something happen?"
"We found an injured baby fox in the woods," Naruto quickly explained, pointing to all the blood on his clothes. "We had to bring it back here to see if Mikan could help it recover."
Akane placed a hand on her hips. "Really? That's what the fuss is about? After we captured all those other animals?"
Naruto focused on the girls' tent. "This is different."
"Do not speak of things you do not understand," Gundham said, his eyes closed. "In the natural world, the cruel reality is eat or be eaten. But even animals, who rely solely on instinct, understand balance. There is no reason to attack when you have enough. Over-kill is just another invention of human perversion."
Fuyuhiko t'ched and placed his hands inside his pockets. "So basically, you're saying there's no reason to let the fox die when we already have more than enough supplies for the time being."
"Well, that's certainly true," Teruteru said with one hand running through his hair. "The ingredients you were able to provide me with should be more than enough for two days…..possibly three if we are smart enough."
Knowing Akane's appetite, that probably wasn't possible.
Chiaki stood next to Naruto, her games nowhere in sight. "You look extremely worried, Uzumaki-kun. It's the first time I'm seeing you like this."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked. He hadn't noticed the girl until she spoke. Was he that out of it right now?
Chiaki locked eyes with him. "Mhmm. It's all over your face. You're like an open book."
Naruto scratched his head. "That's kinda embarrassing…"
"Awww, don't worry, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki appeared over his shoulder and started poking his cheeks. "I'm sure Mikan-chan is gonna be able to save your new friend."
New friend…..? No way. He didn't think of that wild fox that way. He had simply lent Gundham some assistance, that's all.
Right?
Naruto's thoughts paused for a second when he felt something on his hair. Looking up, Naruto saw one of Gundham's hamsters resting on his head.
"What the-"
Gundham h'mphed. "It appears you have earned Crimson Steel Elephant, Mega-Z's respect, foolish mortal. Feel honor, for you are the first to do so…...other than me of course."
This being the first time he was hearing the names of one of Gundham's hamsters….Naruto didn't know what to think. He had the hamster's respect, though?
Sonia clapped excitedly. "That is amazing, Naruto!"
"Way to go, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki cheered, pressing her cheek up against his.
Hiyoko huffed. "It's just a stupid hamster, though….."
"Woah, I didn't know the hamster could do that," Akane said, her eyes shining with fascination.
Fuyuhiko shook his head in slight exasperation. "Just goddamn weird."
Peko chuckled at her master's words while Mahiru quickly snapped a photo of Naruto and Maga-Z for her collection.
More electricity shot out from Nekomaru's eyes as the team manager burst into a shouting fit, all meant to encourage his blond friend. Next to him, Teruteru was giggling quietly to himself. Kazuichi sulked some, not liking how Naruto had stolen the spotlight from him again. And all because of a stupid hamster!
Ryota stood back, not knowing what he was meant to feel in this exact moment. Or perhaps he did know but just didn't want to admit it to himself.
And Nagito…...well, the boy merely smiled.
'I truly am lucky…..'
And it's a wrap, everybody. I originally planned to include more, but I decided to end it here. Will the fox survive? Will it not? Who knows? Does anyone care?
…...I care.
But that's all from me. Reviews are appreciated as usual as it shows you care, and I hope you've enjoyed this rather messy chapter.
Till next time.
