Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa. It needs to be said. Cruel world.


Chapter 11:
With Music comes Heart

"What the fuck is up with all this crap, huh!?"

"This does seem a little…...extreme."

"Not even the gods themselves would ever consider putting on such a show."

"Oi, explain yourself right now. What the fuck was that broad thinking with all of this nonsense!?"

"I-It's not my fault! I told Nanami-san that it was too much, but she wouldn't listen!"

"She had that much control over you, huh?"

"D-Don't look at me with such eyes, Uzumaki-san! It's not fair! Not fair I say!"

At this moment, Ryota was in the middle of being chastised by Naruto, Fuyuhiko, and Gundham. Why were they doing this you might ask. Well, the answer was obvious.

It all had to do with Chiaki's ideas for the games they should have in the upcoming festival. With Ryota's sketches, the boys had a perfect idea of what Chiaki wanted, which just made the whole situation even more ludicrous.

Like, RISK, but with actual soldiers? BATTLESHIP, on a real ocean and with real battleships? A quest to search for actual gold in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest? And many more.

Just, what the fuck?

Naruto was real glad he knew what a battleship was too. Thank you, Sonia.

"That girl is out of her mind!" Fuyuhiko threw the sketches in the air, losing his patience. "How the fuck are we supposed to do crap like that, huh!? How!?"

Naruto didn't know. He simply petted Kurama as he watched Fuyuhiko rant over Chiaki's ideas while Ryota continued to apologize. Gundham had nothing further to say either, since he agreed with Fuyuhiko on this. These game ideas were just…...they weren't feasible.

"Man, you guys are loud," Kazuichi said as he and the others joined them.

Another thing. The boys were all in their locker room as they got ready for their P.E. class. Apparently they had that on Wednesdays. Naruto didn't mind. He much preferred this than sitting in some desk all day.

Since it was P.E., they were all in their P.E. uniforms. Even Kurama was wearing a white t-shirt like them. That way, he could be included in their activities too.

"It seems like Nanami-san has taken a few liberties," Nagito said while chuckling.

That's putting it mildly.

"We can't have games like that!" Teruteru cried out. He was looking through some of the sketches that were now on the floor. "Then my food won't be able to shine!"

"I thought this was about the animals?" Kazuichi pointed out.

"R-Right, that too!"

Naruto could sense Teruteru's lie from a mile away. He already knew the cook had done something stupid the day before at the ramen shop. Something about a cook-off or whatnot.

'The old man was depressed all afternoon…...'

He hand't bothered to tell Naruto any other details than that.

Fuyuhiko looked at Ryota. "Take these back and tell Nanami to get her act together. We can't do shit like that."

"I-I've already told her that!" Ryota quickly said. "But she doesn't listen! You guys have to tell her or something, because I give up trying to change her mind!"

"Hmm, that's going to be tough." Nagito hummed. "Nanami-san really loves games. If you deny her this…..."

Naruto didn't want to think about what a hurt Chiaki would look like.

"We just need to phrase it differently!" he said. "Like, tell her they're all great ideas, but that she should minimize her scope. That sounds good, right?"

Nagito said, "Well, out of everyone here, I'm sure Uzumaki-kun could convince her."

Fuyuhiko smirked, not minding the idea. "I suppose that's true. The idiot is the only one who could charm her."

Naruto scowled at the boy. "I wish you wouldn't phrase it like that."

"Yeah, no more Uzumaki harem moments!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "You already have Tsumiki, so back off!"

Naruto promptly sweatdropped. "Seriously, just what are you talking about?"

The stupid mechanic still wouldn't explain what that was about, and it was really starting to irritate the blond. It was like he was hording that over him, and Naruto didn't appreciate it.

"Don't act like you don't know, you idiot!"

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms and shook his head. "He really is that stupid, Soda."

"S-Seriously?" Kazuichi looked surprised.

Naruto started to growl. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here, you assholes!"

"Gahahahaha!" Nekomaru suddenly burst in laughter. "It's pretty simple! They just mean that you and Tsumiki have a strong bond! Just like with the rest of us!"

The others, sans Naruto and Nagito, all looked at the team manager like he had grown a second hand.

'They're exactly the same…...'

Damn.

That seemed to placate the Uzumaki. "Oh, okay. Why didn't you say so in the first place? Jeez."

No words could describe just how frustrated Kazuichi was with the blond right now.

"I believe we can talk about all that later." Teruteru decided to focus on the important task at hand. "Let us not forget the sight that awaits us when we go outside., my fellow gentlemen."

He was all serious now too.

"Huh? What the fuck are you talking about now?" Fuyuhiko asked.

"How could you possibly ask such a question!" Teruteru nearly raged as he shook his fists. "Did you already forget what our dear female classmates will be wearing today!?"

It took a moment for the question to register in, but soon enough almost all of them understood what Teruteru was getting at.

"Oh, that's right!" Kazuichi squealed in excitement, his eyes full of sparkles and hope. "They're going to be wearing bloomers today!"

He didn't much care for seeing Hiyoko like that, but the others…...they were all fair game to him.

"Hehehe, that's right." Teruteru winked at them. "Nirvana is waiting for us!"

"H'mph, I highly doubt your claim," Gundham butted in. "For that to happen, much more is required. Not just-"

"Okay, stop talking!" Kazuichi cut him off. "I don't want this happy occasion to be ruined by your melodrama."

Gundham seemed to take offense to that.

Naruto just sighed. "Again, what's the big deal? I don't understand your fascination with this, Teruteru."

"I have to agree," Nekomaru said. "It's just a piece of clothing. Hardly worth getting excited over."

He had seen plenty of female athletes wear them in the past. It was nothing new to him by this point, so he didn't understand why Teruteru would be so excited.

Ryota was in this camp as well.

"Don't start ruining this for me!" Kazuichi cried out. He looked at Naruto and Nekomaru like they were from another world. "Do you still not understand what this is all about? We're in high school! It's our job, no our duty, to enjoy moments like this! Otherwise, what's there to live for?"

Naruto sighed again. "You just want to perv on Sonia some more, don't you?"

"Yes! Wait, I mean no! It's about the romance!"

Too late to correct yourself, Kazuichi.

Fuyuhiko scowled and turned away. "It's always the fucking same with you. Can't you think of something else for one minute?"

Nagito chuckled. "I think we should appreciate Soda-kun's enthusiasm. It's full of hope."

Kazuichi didn't know if he should be happy or not that Nagito of all people was complimenting him. He decided to just not think about it.

Naruto studied the so-called lucky student for a moment. "You sure you're going to be okay out there, Nagito? No offense, but you don't look built for exercise."

What, with is sickly skin and whatnot.

Nagito smiled widely. Naruto was actually concerned about him? How wonderful! Not that he deserved it of course, but it still felt great.

"I'm sure I'm no match for you or Nidai-kun, but I'll be sure to give it my best."

"I think Hanamura and Mitarai are the ones you should be worried about," Kazuichi said while looking toward said cook and animator.

"Physical exercise is for the weak," Ryota said with disdain. Nothing else needed to be said.

Teruteru combed his hair. "I have no interest in exercise. I am simply here to gaze at the beautiful young women we have in our class. How lucky for us, hmm~"

"Keep talking like that, and Mahiru is going to be all over you," Naruto said and shook his head.

Teruteru giggled. "Mhmhmm. I wouldn't mind that one bit~"

Oh, yeah. There was no saving this guy.


"NARUTO-CHAN!"

As soon as the boys all stepped outside, Naruto was tackled by none other than Ibuki, who was also in her P.E. uniform. Because of that, and because of the compromising position she and Naruto ended up with after the tackle, Kazuichi was rolling around in jealousy. It's true that his heart belonged to Sonia, but that didn't mean that he was against moments like this happening to him. Why was it only Naruto goddammit!?

Teruteru gently patted Kazuichi, understanding the frustration the mechanic must be feeling right now. He wouldn't mind either Naruto or Ibuki on top of him. Maybe both...yeah, better both.

Naruto looked up at the girl sitting on top of him. It almost looked like she was straddling him, not that Ibuki paid this any mind as she glared down at him. As a side note, Naruto was glad that Kurama had managed to jump off his shoulders before he had crashed to the ground. He didn't want the little guy to be crushed under him.

"Is there a reason why you're tackling me, Ibuki?"

"Nice form by the way," Nekomaru congratulated her as he walked past them.

Ibuki shot him a thumbs up before focusing back down on Naruto. "It's because you made a promise to Ibuki that you have yet to fulfill!"

Ah. That.

Naruto deadpanned. "It's only been a day."

Not even that.

"That's not the point, Naruto-chan. The point is that you should have been rocking with Ibuki last night. Instead, you never showed up!"

Word choice, girl.

"I had work, training with Nekomaru, and had to buy food for Kurama."

And read up more about this world. There was just so much shit in this world that he still did not understand. Point is, his schedule was all filled up yesterday!

Ibuki pouted. "Does our promise mean so little to you, Naruto-chan?"

"Of course not. I was just booked yesterday. But I am free today."

He didn't have work, so that was good.

Ibuki's eyes lit up. "You mean it!?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Pretty sure no one else needs my help anyway."

Sonia did text him about wanting his opinion on the decorations, but that was easy enough. Mahiru and Gundham could handle the spread of information about the event on their own, so he didn't have to worry about that either.

Ibuki grinned from ear to ear. "That settles it then! You are going to be with Ibuki and Hiyoko-chan today after school!"

Naruto knew there was no changing the girl's mind. Besides, he had already promised. He couldn't take it back now.

"Right. Can you get off me now? I think the others are looking at us funny."

Teruteru was giving them winks ever so often while the girls, who had just arrived from their locker room, were looking plain confused.

Sonia, who wore black thigh-high socks with her bloomers, tilted her head in slight fascination. "Is this what we're going to be doing today?"

The image of Sonia on top of him like that, along with her overall appearance right now, was more than enough to knock Kazuichi out with blood shooting out of his nostrils. At least he had a grand old smile on his face as he went out with a literal gush.

"My, my, I don't think Soda-kun was strong enough to handle all of this," Teruteru said in amusement.

Mahiru placed her hands on her hips and proceeded to scold Naruto and Ibuki.

"Don't do stuff like this out in public! Don't you have any shame?"

Naruto simply shrugged. "She tackled me. I claim victim in all of this."

Mikan was kneeling next to him in an instant, checking for injuries. "A-Are you okay!? You're not bleeding, right!?"

"Hahaha, nah. I'm a lot sturdier than I look. This isn't enough to injure me."

Ibuki didn't have much to say about this and got up, allowing Naruto to stand up as well. Kurama hopped back on his shoulders again, glad to see that Naruto wasn't down for the count.

"Jeez, we haven't even started yet and we already have all this commotion," Mahiru said with a sigh.

"Hm, I think that should be expected by this point," Chiaki said softly, feeling a bit out of place without her games.

As Naruto dusted himself off with Mikan's help, their P.E. teacher walked out to the field to join them and Kazuichi managed to regain consciousness with Nagito's and Teruteru's help.

"Man, this sucks," Hiyoko whined. "Why do we have to wear these stupid things again?" She was referring to the bloomers of course.

"I don't know, but it sure is making me veeeeery happy right now," Teruteru admitted while smiling.

"You need to be less open about these things, you idiot," Fuyuhiko said.

Teruteru would never do something like that, though. He was an honest pervert, which was the best kind.

Mikan hid behind Naruto to avoid Teruteru's piercing stare, feeling like that was the best place to be right now. The blond had no problem with this, although he was starting to see just why Kazuichi and Teruteru had been so excited to see the girls in these so-called bloomers. Once again, it was made painfully obvious to him that all the girls in his class were very beautiful. And the amount of skin being shown was just torture.

'I blame Ero-Sennin for this…...'

The man had cursed him from the grave! It was the only rational explanation. And the way Mikan's t-shirt clung to her chest was just making everything even worse.

Or maybe better?

At least Fuyuhiko was also glancing at Peko every few seconds. Not that the swordswoman was even aware of this. Unfortunately, when it came to the important stuff, she couldn't quite catch up.

Their teacher, who happened to be a young woman with dark-short hair, clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Alright, everybody. You already missed the first week of class, so I'd rather not waste any more time here. The more you exercise, the better."

Hiyoko's face was smug. "I get all the exercise I need when I practice my dance routines. You're lucky I even showed up today for this waste of-"

She stopped when Naruto bopped her over the head with his hand.

"You seriously need to get your attitude in check, Hiyoko."

"T-That still hurt, Big Bro!"

"Then don't start insulting the teacher before we even started."

Not that he had any room to talk. Back during his time in the Ninja Academy, he had been notorious for acting out. But in his defense, it was only because he was ignored all the time. He needed to do something to get the teachers' attention, right?

Right.

Hiyoko pouted but gave in. She just wanted to get this over with anyway. She needed to practice some more with Ibuki.

Their teacher looked grateful as she said, "We're going to start with a classic today to really get your blood pumping. We are going to do a sprint medley race."

"A medley race?" Sonia hummed. "What is that exactly?"

"It's basically where we sprint across the field while passing the turn over to another teammate after a given distance," Nekomaru explained. "That's the simple version of it. In recent years, different regions have adopted different rules and forms of this relay race."

"We just have to run, right?" Akane shrugged. "That's easy enough!"

"T-This really isn't my kind of activity," Mikan said from behind Naruto, who chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, Mikan. Just give it your best."

Mikan timidly nodded. Being supported was always a good feeling.

"You guys will break in four teams of four," the teacher said. "I can pick the teams, or you can figure it out by yourself. Your choice."

They all looked at one another. One thing was certain: Naruto, Akane, and Nekomaru could not be on a team together. That just wouldn't be fair to the rest of them.

Akane knew this too and started to smirk. "So we're gonna fight one another, huh? That gets me excited."

Mahiru sighed. "It's not a fight, Owari-san. We're just running."

Deep down, the redhead knew this was not going to be that simple, though. Not when her friends were involved.

The captains were picked first, who were Naruto, Nekomaru, Mahiru, and Sonia who volunteered first. The princess had never been involved in something like this before, and she wanted to make sure she did it right.

The teams came next, and the relay followed suit.


"Mooooo…...this isn't fair, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto had to turn away from Chiaki's pouting face lest he go down on his knees and apologize for just existing. Like, seriously. It was criminal how cute she looked when she pouted. And it wasn't because he was turning into a sadist or anything!

He wasn't Anko.

Naruto's team consisted of himself, Chiaki, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko who was slumped down next to the tree in the middle of the field. Also Kurama, who wanted to run alongside them. They were meant to be choosing the order they were going to run in, but Naruto had decided to tell Chiaki that all her game ideas were a big no-no first.

He was regretting that decision right now.

"We can't have stupid battleships, you moron," Fuyuhiko said, already seeing how Naruto was about to break. "Do you not realize how expensive and impractical all your ideas are?"

"But, Kuzuryu-kun, you're the one who said nothing was impossible for the Kuzuryu clan. That's why I thought it was possible!"

She had a point there. Fuyuhiko had the decency to blush in embarrassment. His big mouth was the cause of all of this, huh? Figures. He should have known all his boasting would catch up to him eventually.

"So now you get it, it was Fuyuhiko who lied to you," Naruto said while nodding. Chiaki followed along and nodded as well, making Fuyuhiko fumble with several excuses. The tables had turned against him, it seemed.

Mikan simply giggled in amusement. It was always fun to see the others interact with one another.

"So what types of games are allowed?" Chiaki asked, moving along with her next question.

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "Normal ones. Not stupid crazy ones."

"I say creative ones," Naruto butted in. "Just don't go overboard. Our main goal here is to make sure that all the animals get adopted."

"Hmm, I guess you're right." Chiaki sighed and looked down. "I guess I got too excited. This is the first time I've ever been in charge of something like this. It made me happy."

Naruto could understand that. He could already tell that Chiaki probably didn't have many friends growing up, and that video games were her one major interest. She probably saw that as the one thing she could bring to the table.

The blond couldn't let her spirit get crushed by this. So he thought of another great idea.

"Don't feel down, Chiaki. Tell you what, we can play your games later if you'd like."

The gamer girl was right in front of him with flaring nostrils, her face filled with so much excitement he could almost drown in it. What a turn in her personality, like woah.

"Do you really mean that, Uzumaki-kun!? We can play games together!?"

Naruto tried to put some distance between himself and her face. "Um, y-yeah! We can play as a class. The others won't mind."

Probably.

"I've never been that good at video games," Mikan said, recalling the few times she's actually played. Which were practically zero.

"There's nothing to worry about, Tsumiki-san!" Chiaki turned her attention to the nurse next, who let out an "eep" when Chiaki grabbed her hand. "I can teach you all the secret moves!"

"Y-Yes, thank you!"

Fuyuhiko got up and walked over to Naruto. "You sure changed her mood quickly."

Naruto shrugged. "I figured it was the best way to cheer her up. Besides, I've never played video games before. Makes me curious to see if I'd be any good at them."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "I doubt it. Your one good trait is that you can fight. The rest of your head is just filled up with ramen."

"Still saying crap like that, huh?"

"Hahahaha, am I wrong?"

"Bastard."

The two boys shared a laugh, which made Chiaki and Mikan freeze up for a moment. Fuyuhiko, laughing like this? The yakuza had laughed briefly when he teased Mikan, but this was different. It was more...casual.

Chiaki had to smile at the scene. She was really happy that Naruto was in their class.


By the end of the period, with a nearly destroyed field, it was Sonia's team who came up in first place. Who would have thought that the princess could run so fast? Ibuki wasn't half bad either. And with Akane and Peko on her team too, they had completely destroyed the others.

Maybe they should have made a rule to not have Akane and Peko on the same team too? Oh well. As a reward for their victory, the girls all got to pet Kurama. The excited look on Peko's face when she got to pet the little fox had made everyone laugh, much to her embarrassment.

At this point, it was already lunchtime, and everyone usually ate lunch together. But Naruto had to excuse himself from that routine as he had something else to take care of today. He wasn't the only one, as Mahiru also excused herself and joined him out in the hallway.

"I'm surprised, Mahiru. Do you have somewhere to go?" Naruto eyed the bento she had on her. She ate Teruteru's food like the rest of them, but not today it seemed.

"A-Ah, yes." Mahiru looked a bit shy. "I actually have a friend in the Reserve Department, and I promised to eat lunch with her today. Since I've been spending all my time with you guys lately, we haven't been able to hang out lately. N-Not that that's a bad thing! I just…..."

She trailed off with a blush, unable to find the right words to explain herself.

Naruto was more focused on something else she'd said. "Reserve Department? What's that?"

Mahiru raised an eyebrow at the question and pushed down her embarrassment. "You've never heard of the Reserve Department?"

"Nope. Old man Tengan never said anything about it. Neither did the headmaster…..."

Mahiru wanted to facepalm. Of course he wouldn't know. Naruto was that kind of guy, after all. Very simple minded about most things.

"Well, the Reserve Department is basically the other half of the school. It's for students who weren't admitted to the Main Course…..."

Mahiru didn't want to say they had no talent or anything like that, even though that's basically what it was. According to the school anyway. But in her heart, Mahiru disagreed with the school on this. She believed her friend had much to offer to the world.

"Huh. I never knew." Naruto didn't understand why the school would do something like that. Wasn't the purpose of this place to bring the best of the best together and to raise them for the nation's future?

'Hmm….maybe there's more to this place than I thought…...'

Naruto put that aside for now. "I see. And this friend can't join the rest of us for lunch?"

"No, the school has a strict possibility against that," Mahiru said. Although she wouldn't mind sneaking her friend over to meet the others one day…...maybe. Since the rule was really annoying.

Naruto was thinking the same thing. If they were students of Hope's Peak, why did it matter that they were from this Reverse Course place? They were all the same.

Kurama licked his cheek, almost in silent agreement.

"Where are you going by the way?" Mahiru suddenly asked. "You're not off to do something weird, are you?"

"Again, your lack of faith in me wounds me, Mahiru."

"And, again, if the shoe fits."

Naruto grumbled. "I'm not doing anything bad. I just have to pick up an order that's waiting for me."

"An order?"

"Yeah…...I sort of had someone make me a new kunai set. He texted me last night saying they were done."

Such speed. Naruto was impressed with Izayoi's progress and was eager to see what the blacksmith had to show him.

Mahiru looked worried by this. "Are you sure you can handle those types of weapons? If something happened to you….."

She didn't want to finish that thought. It was surprising how much she had grown to care about the blond in such a short amount of time, but she did darn it. Even as dumb and as annoying as he could be, Naruto also had many good points about him. So she cared…...about him.

…...

Naruto was confused as he watched the girl walk off with her head down, not waiting for his answer. Did he say something bad? And was her face red?

'I feel like I misunderstood something here…...'

Girls were just weird.


Ruruka didn't look happy to see Naruto when said boy walked into the classroom she and Izayoi were in. That unhappy expression shifted to a more cheerful one when she saw Kurama, however.

"Is that a little fox!? Where did you get it!? Can I pet it? Can I buy it!?"

Unlike when he received attention from Mikan or the other girls in Naruto's class, Kurama didn't seem to enjoy the attention Ruruka was giving him right. He shrunk away, and looked ready to pounce on the girl. Maybe it was because she was a stranger to him. The little fox already knew everyone in Naruto's class was friendly, but this was new territory.

"His name is Kurama, and no he's not for sale." Naruto was offended that she would even suggest that.

Izayoi stood by a box on one of the desks. The box was pretty big, but Naruto was more interested in what was inside.

"That weird friend of yours called me," Izayoi told him as he made to open the box. "He said that I should do a specific design for your order. That's why it took me a bit longer to finish these."

"Weird friend?"

"Yeah…...Komaeda something. I don't even know how he got my number either. He said he just typed a random number in, and that it so happened to be mine. Not that I believe him. That's just stupid."

Naruto just stared at him. Nagito was the Ultimate Lucky Student, so that wasn't totally out of the realm of possibility. Right? Luck could be really scary. More importantly, what the heck did he mean by "specific design"?

Izayoi answered his unasked question by opening the box and showing him his new kunai set. There were around twenty total, and they were a lot more detailed than his old ones, resembling Izayoi's preferred aesthetics. Not just that, but they were all outlined with orange marks with a fox head placed in the middle of each kunai.

"Woah." Despite himself, Naruto had to gasp a little when he saw all of this. He picked one of them and gave it a few swings, seeing how it felt in his hand. It was a bit heavier than his old kunai since they were longer and thicker , but he could get used to them soon enough. He just needed practice with them.

Kurama seemed to be fascinated by the weapon as well, looking at it intently.

"What do you think?" Izayoi asked, looking a bit eager to hear what his costumer had to say about his product. By someone who actually used them too, not just a collector.

"It's…..pretty good," Naruto said after a few more test swings. They weren't so much bigger that he couldn't adapt to them. He was sure he could keep them in his new trench coat with no problem.

A small smile settled over Izayoi's face. He was definitely glad to hear that.

"If you ever use them in real combat, I'll want to hear your thoughts about them," he added.

Naruto was okay with that. "What about my kunai? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I was able to study it, yes. It's from a different alloy than mine. It seems to be more for mass production than quality."

Naruto had to mentally nod. His kunai set was nothing special in his world. They had been just like any other regular kunai. He had never been one for specialized weapons. That was more Sasuke's and Tenten's thing. No, ninjutsu was his specialty.

Ruruka looked annoyed to be left out of this conversation. "That's it, right? Your business is done?"

Naruto looked at Izayoi and shrugged. "If he's still okay with just having my old kunai as payment, then yeah. I guess we are…..."

Izayoi had nothing to say. He was looking forward to hearing back from Naruto after the blond used his weapons in battle. He didn't need any money for this.

"You can see yourself out then." Ruruka grabbed Izayoi by the sleeve and began to pull him out of the classroom. "Yoi-chan and I have a lunch date we need to get to."

Lunch date? Were these two…...together-together? Huh.

Naruto didn't bother thinking too much of it as he waved them off, with neither returning the wave. That suited him just fine. They weren't exactly friends, after all. His eyes then went back to the box, a sense of excitement rising in him. His weaponry was now officially complete. Now, he just had to get more acquainted with all his new gear and master his new fighting style.

Everything was going great.


There was a distinct lack of afternoon classes for the 77th class that day. It all had to do with a little scheme hatched up by none other than Chiaki herself.

Naruto only found out just how serious Chiaki took his words earlier when he returned to the classroom after lunch. Koichi was kicking back and relaxing with his flask in hand as the others were all huddled up near a huge TV.

Wait, when did the huge TV get here? And what was it for?

"What's going on here?"

The others turned to him, and they all noticed the box he had right away. Nagito undershoot what it was immediately.

"I see Izayoi-kun managed to fulfill your request. Was everything to your liking?"

"Izayoi?" Hiyoko looked at the two boys. "Who the heck is that?"

"It's a senpai of ours. He was working on Uzumaki-kun's new weapons. Only someone like the Ultimate Blacksmith could be worthy of accomplishing a task like that."

Koichi paled at this. "You're bringing new weapons into the school?"

The hole Peko made yesterday was bad enough. But now there was going to be more of that going around? Crap. Just crap.

Speaking of which, the hole was still in here. It hadn't been patched up yet.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Calm down. I'm not going to be using them here. Just whenever I practice with Peko-chan."

"I see." Peko nodded. "You're going for your own weapon of choice now. It only makes sense."

Naruto had gotten down the fundamentals of swordsmanship rather quickly. He was all about learning with a hands-on approach, not with lectures or anything like that.

"Oooooooohhh, shiny~" Ibuki poked the box. "Can we see what's inside?"

"Sure." Naruto had no problem with that.

He opened the box and showed them his new kunai set.

"Hmm, it seems Izayoi-kun took my advice," Nagito said with a smile after seeing the weapons.

"How did you even know that I would like this?" Naruto asked him.

Nagito smiled. "Oh, it was just a feeling."

Just a feeling, huh.

"These weapons are beautiful," Sonia said as she admired them. "Perhaps I should have him make some for me as well!"

Kazuichi chuckled nervously. "U-Um, Miss Sonia, are you sure that's a good idea? These things could kill a person, you know."

"I am aware. But there's no need to worry!" Sonia flexed her arm in excitement. "As part of my country's educational curriculum, everyone knows how to handle and operate dangerous weaponry."

That was…...something else right there. Sonia's country sure had a wild idea about what kids needed to learn in school.

"Ha, I look forward to seeing what you can do with these," Nekomaru said with a large grin.

Naruto returned it. "For sure! With Peko-chan's help, I'll be able to use these in no time!"

Peko crossed her arms with a challenging look on her face. "That is if you can beat me first."

"I'll take that challenge!"

Peko expected him too. It was one of the reasons why she enjoyed training with him so much.

Mahiru sweatdropped. "It's like they want to kill each other or something."

"Weapons are boring anyway," Akane said, not really interested in the kunai. "It's all about beating each other with your fists!"

"You just have to be so violent all the time, huh?" Kazuichi said, backing away from the gymnast.

Koichi raised his flask. "As long as you don't hurt yourself with those things, do what you like. Also, don't destroy any more walls, okay? Stuff like that doesn't look good on my record."

None of them really much cared for that anyway.

Naruto looked over to the TV. "What are you guys even doing in here anyway? And what's with the giant TV?"

Kazuichi started to smirk. "Do you like it? It was built by me, ya know. It's the best TV you'll find anywhere! It only took me an hour to finish amping it up!"

"Nanami-san suggested we should play video games this afternoon," Mikan informed him. "You know, like you said earlier…..."

Chiaki was smiling as she said, "I brought over a bunch of games from my collection. I figured it was a great way to relax. We're all working hard for the festival, after all."

Gundham h'mphed. "I suppose that is true. The key to defeating your enemy is to make sure you're well-rested."

Was he trying to be a war expert or something?

"I don't mind giving this a shot," Naruto said. It was going be his first time participating in something like this, but he was up for it.

"Whatever lets me sleep some more~" Koichi said in a sing-song voice.

Mahiru placed a hand over her face, looking exasperated. "How did that guy become a teacher again?"

No one could answer that. Not even Koichi, who happily drank more of his alcohol. The man was happy being himself, and that's all that mattered.

"Let's play some games!" Ibuki exclaimed.

Time for the fun to start.


Naruto soon discovered that these video games were something else. It was like you were submerged in another new world, all the while you were resting comfortably in your chair or with friends. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, and he was in awe.

He was able to play in the first group, which consisted of himself, Kazuichi, Nagito, and Fuyuhiko. They were playing some board game, in which the goal was to raise as much money as possible. You did this through a variety of different ways, like owning property, trading said property with your rivals, or even trying to get more money from said rivals every time they were on your property. At least, those were the basic rules.

"This feels like we're businessmen or something," Naruto said as Kurama watched the game over his shoulder.

Kazuichi chuckled. "If that's true, then it means I'm better than all of you at it."

As it turned out, Kazuichi was the one doing the best out of all of them. Somehow.

"You're only doing so good because you had a good start," Fuyuhiko said through a scowl. Bastard had managed to get some good starting turns. That was the only reason he was ahead of them.

Nagito laughed softly. "Yes, but I'm really falling behind, aren't I?"

"And here I thought these types of games would be right up your alley," Fuyuhiko remarked.

"Hmm, maybe my luck isn't that great."

Kazuichi snickered. "You can say that again. I'm totally gonna win this!"

Fuyuhiko suddenly sweatdropped when he noticed a message appear on the screen. "I think your tune's about to change…..."

Naruto had to watch how Kazuichi practically lost all his earnings over the course of one turn…...while Nagito gained them all. And then some.

Said lucky boy just smiled some more. "I guess I am lucky, after all."

Kazuichi practically cried as he went bankrupt. "That's just not fair! Why does this shit always happen to me!?"

Nagito was like a bad luck charm to him.

"How the hell is that even possible?" Fuyuhiko said in disdain.

Naruto didn't know. But from the looks on everyone's faces, this wasn't a common occurrence within the game.

Damn.


"You're not going to join in, Mikan?"

"No, I'd rather be next to you instead…..."

Naruto didn't mind as he sat in the back while the next four went up. Kurama had decided to stay up front with the Four Devas while Gundham, Sonia, Ryota, and Chiaki took their turns. They were in the midst of some racing game, which was a totally different experience from the first game.

The possibilities were endless, huh?

Mikan was seated next to him, with Fuyuhiko taking the other side. "Heh, looks like we didn't do so bad."

Naruto wasn't sure. Nagito pretty much won with that one turn, leaving the rest of them in the dust. At least they hadn't lost all their assets like Kazuichi had, though. That was just brutal.

Speaking of the mechanic, he was sulking in another part of the classroom while Koichi napped in the back. Damn lazy bastard.

"I never thought I'd ever be playing video games like this," Fuyuhiko said. "Especially not with a bunch of weirdos like you."

"I'm pretty sure you're just as weird as us," Naruto retorted.

Fuyuhiko chuckled at that. "Yeah, you're probably right." He saw Peko smiling from where she was seated, which just made him happier. This is what he had always wanted to see. Not having her act as some tool or any of that bullshit. Just as normal high schoolers.

Mikan silently watched the two boys. It was just like before. She could totally tell that something had changed between them. They were…...more friendly now, more at ease with one another. A part of her wanted to ask, but she decided not to. It would probably just be troublesome for her to get in the way.

"Urgh."

Up front, Gundham suddenly grimaced and dropped his controller as Chiaki beat him to the finish line.

"It appears that this is my loss…..." His face was stoic, but it was clear that he wasn't happy with this result.

"I don't think you should take it so personally," Teruteru said while patting him on the back.

Gundham decided to ignore him. He was a bit of a sore loser like that.

After that, more and more people took their turns while everyone else watched, talking and having a grand time. Teruteru even came and prepared some snacks for them, which just made things all the better.

Before long, the end of the school day came, with Koichi still passed out in the back.

"Why do I even bother?" Mahiru glared at the man.

Hiyoko looked at the man like he was trash. "I think you're wasting your breath with this guy, Big Sis. He always smells like alcohol too."

Sonia tried to be the understanding one and said, "Some people are who they are…...I suppose."

"Pretty sure that changes nothing," Naruto said while grabbing his bag.

"The day's over, so let it be already." Fuyuhiko addressed the whole class. "We still have to finish our preparations, remember?"

"That is true." Mahiru sighed a bit. "There are just so many cute pictures, I don't know which ones to print out…..."

Sounded hard.

"Do we have a location for the festival?" Ryota asked Fuyuhiko. "Or are we still waiting on that?"

"Yeah, we got one. It's a park not far from here. They have this huge fountain in the middle, almost like a plaza. We should be able to fit everything in there."

Sonia's eyes sparkled. "With the location, I can be better prepared with what decorations to choose. This is going to be great!"

Fuyuhiko smirked somewhat. "If you need extra hands, just tell me. I'll get some guys to help you." He glanced over to Chiaki. "You too…...and remember, no crazy shit."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Chiaki pouted. She didn't need to be told twice. She wasn't a little kid. She knew what to do now.

"And you're coming with us for today~" Naruto was suddenly pulled by his tie by none other than the excited Ibuki who dragged him out of the classroom. "We are going to create the best band, whoohooooo!"

"Don't just leave me behind, idiot!" Hiyoko cried out as she was forced to run after the duo with Kurama right behind her.

"Huh, what an odd sight that was," Nekomaru said offhandedly. A lolita and a fox, chasing after two teens. Hmm, yeah. It was pretty odd indeed.

"I don't think anything counts as 'normal' around here," Kazuichi said while scratching his cheek.

Peko just closed her eyes. She knew Naruto would contact her later about their practice. For now, she just needed to focus on helping the others.

Mikan was having similar thoughts as the group started to scatter to their respective tasks until only Teruteru and Nagito remained.

"It seems like you weren't able to ask Uzumaki-kun what you wanted to know," Nagito said with his arms crossed. "That is a shame, as I was quite curious to know the answer as well."

Teruteru didn't look depressed by this at all, though. "There's no need to worry. Even if he's busy today, he'll be working tomorrow. I'm sure I can ask him my question then."

"Hmm…...would you mind if I tagged along as well?"

"Hohohoho, getting attached to me already? Don't worry, Komaeda-kun. I can love you and Uzumaki-kun equally~"

Nagito laughed. "Hahaha, I'll leave that to your imagination."

Teruteru was more than happy to do so.

"Hmm, still, I'm going to be very curious to see what Uzumaki-kun's answer will be," Nagito said, mostly to himself.

Indeed, tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.


Naruto's bag was like buried treasure to Kurama who began to rummage through the books and other stuff the blond carried inside. The little fox needed to see what else laid hidden in here. There might even be a snack for him inside! He could only dream for that to be the case.

While he did that, Naruto read Peko's text message to him.

I will have your tools with me. See you at practice.

Straight and to the point. So Peko-like.

If Naruto was someone else, he might be terrified at the notion of Peko being excited to practice her skills on him. But instead, he was simply happy that he didn't have to go back to the classroom to get his new ninja tools. That would have just been troublesome.

With that squared away, he pocketed his phone and focused on the task at hand, which was…...well, he had no idea what it was. Ibuki had simply dragged him into the music room, where she and Hiyoko were now setting up on stage by the illustrious piano.

"This place isn't so bad," he said as he looked around.

Hiyoko heard him and huffed. "It's pretty dull if you ask me. It needs more decorations and cute lights!"

Sometimes, it was hard to tell that the dancer was the same age as him.

"The dark atmosphere gives Ibuki plenty of inspiration, though." Ibuki began to play several notes on her guitar. "It'll be perfect for the upcoming concert!"

Hiyoko seemed to enjoy the sound. "Dark music is usually pretty dull, but you play some good stuff!"

"Hehehe, to be praised by Hiyoko-chan like this…...it's so embarrassing~"

Ibuki definitely enjoyed the compliment, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Hiyoko's praise was rare, so if you got it, you should hold on to it for dear life. You might not get it again.

"So what exactly do guys need me for?" Naruto asked and stepped forward, both hands in his pockets. "I don't know much about music, so I don't know what I can help with."

"That's understandable. You don't look like the sensible type," Hiyoko teased him.

Naruto took it in stride. The little blonde already knew that music wasn't his forte.

"Tsk, tsk. Ibuki is disappointed in you, Naruto-chan." Ibuki crossed her arms and shook her head. "You don't need to be an expert to appreciate music! You could understand Ibuki's music when you first heard it, right?"

"Uh….."

No, not really. He had been confused, more than anything. Hell, he had no idea what an electric guitar was before coming to this world. Hiyoko's dancing had captivated him, though.

"Ibuki suspects you're thinking something bad about her."

"No, I'm not!" Damn. This girl was sharp.

"But Ibuki can understand." The girl sighed, which was rare for her. "The others in Ibuki's band couldn't understand either."

"Your band?" This was a first. Naruto had never heard of the girl having a band before.

Ibuki nodded. "Yes. Ibuki was in a band before coming to Hope's Peak. But we split up because they wanted to do something totally super lame. Just because everyone else was doing it! How lamer can you get!? It's like ultra super mega lame!"

That's a lot of lame to go around. Naruto could get the gist of what she was saying, though.

"You're okay with being yourself, aren't you?"

"But of course!" Ibuki beamed brightly. "What's the fun in being the same way as everyone else? Like Hiyoko-chan says, we all need our own identity! Like Japan!"

"D-Don't bring me into this!" Hiyoko cried out, embarrassed to be quoted like this.

Ibuki gave her a wink. "Hehehe, you're just so adorable~"

"N-No…..."

What is his? Was Ibuki actually making Hiyoko too embarrassed to talk back? What an amazing sight!

"Aaaaaanyway, we are not here to talk about all this boring stuff!" Ibuki turned back to the Uzumaki. "We are here to discuss Naruto-chan's future in the band!"

Hold up, what?

"What are you talking about, Ibuki?" Naruto felt like he was being set up here.

"Like I saaaaaaid, we are here to pick out an instrument for you, Naruto-chan! That way, you can rock out with Ibuki in her band!"

"Hey, when did this become your band!?" Hiyoko glared at Ibuki. "We both decided to have Big Bro join us, so don't take the spotlight for yourself!"

"Jeez, don't you get it? You're both part of Ibuki's grand harem now! Hehehehe!"

"Y-You…..!" Hiyoko seemed too embarrassed to say anything else. Even Naruto had to take a step back at Ibuki's proclamation.

"Jeez, you guys act too serious!" Ibuki shook her head. "Ibuki is disappointed in both of you!"

This conversation was going all over the place, wasn't it?

"Anyway, I've never once played an instrument," Naruto said, bringing the conversation back to focus. He needed to get his mind away from that harem comment. "So having me perform with you guys is a bit….."

"You don't have to worry about that!" Ibuki cut in with another wink. "As long as you feel the love, you should be able to rock, no problemo!"

"I think you're making this sound a lot easier than it actually is….."

"H'mph, I think you can do it," Hiyoko said as she looked away with a small blush. "If this idiot can play really well, then you should be able to do the same too."

Naruto scratched his cheek and blushed a little too. "Thanks, Hiyoko. That means a lot."

"Ooooooohhhh, Ibuki can just feel the love!" the musician exclaimed while raising her head. "But it's like Ibuki is being pushed out of her own harem, so you should stop!"

"Stop talking about that already!" Hiyoko shouted, blushing harder.

Naruto had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Ibuki knew exactly what to say to get Hiyoko embarrassed. It was glorious.

"Well, if you guys think I can really do it, then I don't mind," Naruto said. He was always up for trying new things, after all. "So what instrument do you have in mind for me?"

"Pointing~" Ibuki pointed her fingers to a darkened corner of the classroom before it lit up. Did they have this set up beforehand or what? Ah, it didn't matter. It was there that Naruto noticed a set of drums, ready to be played.

"We had this brought here yesterday," Ibuki said with a proud look. "You were supposed to start playing then, but you skipped out on us!"

"Heh, yeah. Sorry about that."

"The past is the past! Now you can start rocking!"

Naruto walked up to the drums, inspecting all the different parts. It was the first time he was seeing one of these things in person.

"It's a drum set, which will make you our drummer!" Ibuki exclaimed. "Even if you're a novice, you'll be able to play the drums in no time! It's real easy. Isn't that just the best?"

"To you, maybe," Hiyoko muttered while she kept her eyes on Naruto. She still thought this was a dumb idea. It would be better if Naruto was dancing alongside her, not playing the stupid drums.

'He probably couldn't handle that, though.'

She laughed in her mind, but it didn't carry the usual spitefulness. It would just be funny, to see Naruto trying master the same dance as her. But also cool too, in its own way.

"Since you've gone this far, I definitely can't run away and say no," Naruto said after giving the set of drums a once over. He had no idea what it could do, but it did look like it could be a lot of fun.

While Ibuki cheered at her plan coming together so wonderfully, Hiyoko was in a more contemplative mood.

"You're always like that, aren't you? Always trying to make us happy, even if you don't know what you're getting into."

Naruto looked up to Hiyoko on the stage. "Hm? I wouldn't put it like that exactly. I'm just doing what I want."

Which was the truth. He was making the best of his new life, and he was doing that by spending it with everyone else.

Hiyoko raised her hands to her face, which were covered by the sleeves of her kimono. "But you're really nice. No one else has ever been this nice to me without wanting something in return."

What the heck? Where did that come from? Even Ibuki was looking confused.

"I have no idea why people would want to do that, but I really am not looking to get anything from you," Naruto reassured her. Then he thought about it. "Well, that's not entirely true. I do want your help, I guess. But that's only if you decide to help me."

"Heck yeah, she's coming with us!" Ibuki started to play on her guitar. "For world peace, Hiyoko-chan has to be with us!"

It looked like Ibuki didn't need to be convinced about joining him in fulfilling his dream. She was already that determined, huh?

"I-I guess so…..." At that moment, Hiyoko looked very vulnerable, but also very happy. It was a side Naruto didn't think the girl had, but he was being proven wrong right then and there.

"Are you scared about something?" Naruto asked her, trying to understand the girl better.

"I-It's not about being scared," Hiyoko began, trying to find the right words. "More like…..hesitant? Everyone always wants to get to me first, because of my family. That's why…..to get them first…...but here…..."

She couldn't get the rest out.

Naruto was suddenly standing next to her on the stage, which startled Hiyoko but not Ibuki. She was already used to Naruto's impressive speed.

"You're not speaking very clearly, which is unusual for you," he said to her, with Ibuki nodding in the background. A part of Ibuki did have to wonder if she should be hearing this, but Hiyoko hadn't made any attempts to make her go away. So it was probably okay?

"Everyone around me has always been the same," Hiyoko explained, finding her voice again. "They've always tried to threatened me, playing mean tricks that nearly killed me. Even from my own family, it's been like that for a long time. Only my father is different…..he's sorta like y-you. He's always nice and doesn't expect anything in return. He's just...there for me."

"That sounds like a good father," Naruto said softly as he placed a hand over her head. Hiyoko didn't seem to mind and actually appreciated the gesture. It was the same feeling she got when she was around her father. It just made her feel safe.

"I'm glad you could tell me that, but you don't have to worry, Hiyoko. Everyone is here for you, not just me."

Ibuki nodded in agreement. "No one can hurt Hiyoko-chan while Ibuki is around!"

Yeah, something like that.

Hiyoko stuck out her tongue at the girl, but it was more playful than anything else. The tears in her eyes proved as much.

"Whatever! Like you could protect me."

"Awww, man, and she's being mean again," Ibuki said as she pouted. "Ibuki thought we were going to see a new a person blossom in you today."

"H-H'mph, don't expect anything crazy from me," Hiyoko said while looking away. "I-I just had a m-moment of weakness! Nothing what I said before really matters, so forget it!"

Ibuki had to giggle. "Hehehe, a flustered Hiyoko is pretty cute too."

"W-Will you shut up already, jeez! I'll knock you out if I have to!"

Naruto joined Ibuki and started to laugh with her, which just made Hiyoko all the more embarrassed.

"We're supposed to be practicing, remember!? So let's get to that!" She couldn't handle all this teasing anymore.

"I know, I know." Naruto smiled at her. "But thanks for sharing more about yourself, Hiyoko. I can't say much about your family, but you can always trust us."

"We're in a band now!" Ibuki added. "All of us! It's the music that brings us together! And that includes you too, Naruto-chan! You don't ever have to be depressed again!"

Huh. So she had noticed his troubled feelings from before, had she? Ibuki was more clever than he had given her credit for.

"I guess you can also be pretty insightful, huh?" Naruto said while grinning.

"Tehehe, but of course~" Ibuki said in another one of her poses. "Ibuki is the goddess of music, who can help you anytime you need it. Don't ever resist turning to her for help. She'll fix you right away. That's a guarantee~"

"H'mph, idiot," Hiyoko huffed, but she did smile a little. "You can't even help yourself!"

"Urgh, your tsundere status is making Ibuki very excited!"

"Enough with that! I'm not a tsundere!"

Naruto had to smile as the two girls began to bicker with one another. Even though they had gotten completely off track and weren't practicing at all, Naruto was glad that he had come here today. He had come to understand both girls a lot better through this little moment.

Hiyoko, with her insecure and lonely feelings.

Ibuki, with her more intuitive and supportive nature.

As Ibuki said, they were there for one another. Through music or whatever, it didn't matter. It was all the same.

They were friends, and they didn't need to be alone anymore.


I feel like Ibuki's free time events pretty much lead to showing that the girl is more instinctive than people give her credit for, and that in her own way, she can be pretty supportive too. That's basically what I was trying to show by having her there when Hiyoko finally expressed herself more to Naruto. I hope my intent there was clear enough.

That's all I've got. More bonding, new weapons, the usual. I hope it was enjoyable.

Till next time.