Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa. If I did, I would have created a spin-off/slice-of-life anime with the cast from the two games by now. Just sunshines and rainbows. If only...

Imma go cry now.


Chapter 13:
Life's Choices

"What exactly are you doing here, Kizakura-kun? Don't you have a class to look out for?"

Koichi was slumped on the couch of the headmaster's office, still looking like he was on death's door. Jin had to twitch at the sight, once again reminded of the fact that this man was not teacher material at all. It was like life itself was throwing this reminder right at his face.

"That would be a fair concern, if they actually needed me." The man could speak in full sentences now, which was a helluva lot better from this morning. And he could sit properly too! "I'm sure you've seen the flyers around the school."

Jin had. He was coming back from lunch and had spotted several of these flyers around the school. They were all identical and announced the same event. They were designed by Mahiru with her pictures used for embellishment, which was sure to attract more people.

Jin hid his smile as he took his usual seat behind his desk. "This new class is quite busy." First the class trip and now this. They were closer than any other class he'd seen too. It was wonderful.

He then shot the hungover Koichi a look of annoyance. "Of course, it'd be a lot more appropriate if the teacher was involved as well."

"Eh. Uzumaki seems to have the whole thing under control."

"You know that's very irresponsible. He's still a student."

"Yeah, but he can keep them in line," Koichi shot back, making himself more comfortable in his seat. "It's funny. It hasn't even been a month yet, but they're already seeing him as their leader. That kid is something else."

Even if Jin was in agreement, this did not mean that he was pleased with Koichi's lack of management when it came to his class. Jin had known placing Koichi as a teacher was a bad idea, but he hadn't thought it would be this bad. Not that there had been much of a choice.

'With the new additions, and the size of this class, the staff has been spread thin.'

Replacing Koichi was not a doable option right now unfortunately. Looking for new staff was probably the way to go, although it would take a while. It was something Jin had been hoping to not do, for several reasons, but he also wanted to make sure those kids had a proper teacher looking out for them. Koichi was obviously not that person.

"I get the feeling you thought something bad about me just now," Koichi said, more weakly this time. Whatever strength he'd gained in the past couple of hours was now leaving him, and fast.

At least there was no vomit.

"That isn't nice, to treat your precious staff like this. Why I outta-"

Okay, he was wrong. There was vomit.

Jin suppressed his shudder when Koichi lunged for the trash can to throw up, emptying out his stomach for what was probably the fourth time today.

'Yes, looking for a new teacher is probably for the best…..'

Offense intended, Koichi.


Yasuke glanced down to the flyer in his hand. He picked it up by chance on his way to the rooftop of the Science Building, which had become his favorite spot to be where he could read his manga and nap at his leisure. None of his bothersome classmates could trouble him here, which was a definite perk.

From that, it wasn't hard to figure out that he wasn't having a very…...sociable school year so far. Far from it. He didn't bother to interact with his classmates, and they made sure to steer clear from him as well. Based on the flyer he picked up, though, not everyone was taking the same approach as him.

'That guy…...'

Uzumaki Naruto. Yasuke still remembered him, which was a rare thing for him to do. Heck, he still didn't know the names of any of his classmates or what teacher he had. He never showed up for class, which was probably why he didn't know any of them by heart. There was no reason for him to do so anyway. This was all simply a means to an end, nothing more. He had expected to see Naruto follow in the same path as him. After what had happened in their first day of school, it was only natural to assume that, right? But that didn't seem to be the case.

'How stupid.'

He crumbled up the flyer and threw it down from the rooftop, silently watching it fall to one of the gardens in the back of the building. He couldn't stomach the idea of wasting his time like that. There was no point, not as long as he had his purpose.

'I wonder what Junko is doing…...'

He let his mind wonder to the girl who was his one and only friend in this world before lying down on the ground and drifting off to sleep. He still had some research he needed to finish later, and then maybe those geezers in the Steering Committee would finally consider giving him his own lab to work in. It would speed up his work, which is all he cared about.

Mhmm, yes. That would be ideal, wouldn't it.


"Whiskers-kun, what is this?"

"Whiskers-what now?"

"H'mph, it's your new nickname! I came up with it on my own. Isn't it nice? I think it's totally nice! You should thank me for being so considerate. It's not everyday I bother to be so friendly with other people."

Naruto was actually too stunned for words right now. Why wouldn't he be? Ruruka, the same rude girl from before, had walked up to him all causally like they were friends, and was even giving him a nickname. Not a very original one mind you, but a nickname nonetheless.

What the hell?

Izayoi just stood next to the girl, his face blank as usual. Naruto wondered if the boy's face ever changed. It was like he was a statue half the time.

But never mind that. What did Ruruka want again? Oh, right. She was waving one of Mahiru's flyers in his face. This one didn't have one of the newer pictures she had taken this morning. The pictures were of the animals instead. There were several single shots, with a group shot at the bottom. It was very cute. Gundham must have lined them up, or maybe it was Mahiru?

"Whiskers-kun!"

"Huh?"

Ruruka huffed. "I don't like to be ignored, you know."

"Oh." Naruto realized she was still here. "What do you want?" He had already forgotten. Again.

Ruruka looked on the verge of tears now. Obviously, she was not used to be treated so indifferently like this.

"Like! I! Said! What are these flyers about? Is your class doing something?"

How did she know it was their class?

"If there are other animals like your cute little fox, then I want them!"

Kurama didn't move from Naruto's head, still napping. Teruteru's lunch had just been that good for the young fox. Naruto felt the same way, but he had things to do sadly. Napping could wait till later.

"It's for adopting pets, yes." Naruto didn't know how serious Ruruka was about the whole 'taking care of an animal' thing. She didn't look like someone who would be into that sort of thing. He couldn't stop her from going, though. The event was open for anyone who was interested.

"Are there any foxes?"

She was still hung up on that?

"There aren't. And you can't have Kurama, so don't even try to ask."

Ruruka puffed out her cheeks, a clear indication that she was annoyed. Not that it was going to change Naruto's mind. Kurama was his, and nothing would change that.

"You're so mean, whiskers-kun. Yoi-chan was nice enough to help you too!"

That was business. Naruto wouldn't consider the blacksmith a friend, and he was sure that Izayoi felt the same way.

Ruruka's mood did a one-eighty as she said, "But this looks like it could be fun. You don't mind if we stop by, right? The flyer says there's going to be games and food to enjoy too."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure, knock yourselves out."

"Alright! Looks like our Saturday has just been booked, Yoi-chan. We'll have to let Seiko-chan know too. She never goes out unless we make her. Silly girl."

Seiko-chan? Naruto had no idea who that was. Probably another friend of hers.

Seiko would probably weep if she knew she had been forgotten. Again.

Izayoi had no comment to make, but then again he rarely did. Ruruka didn't seem to mind as she fed him some of her sweets, which the boy happily accepted. Naruto was then treated to the weird sight of Izayoi's face practically melting, his cheeks like that of a chipmunk's as he ate Ruruka's sweets.

"Dewicious….."

"..."

Well, okay. That was a thing then.

"We'll see you Saturday, whiskers-kun." Ruruka waved to him as she dragged Izayoi down the hall, disappearing as they rounded the corner.

Naruto was left standing by himself, still baffled by what he just saw. It was hard to believe someone as stoic as Izayoi could be reduced to mere mush by some sweets.

'This school is weird.'

Understatement of the century right there.


There was another surprise waiting for Naruto in front of the main gates of the school. There was a whole line of trucks parked by the gates, with a bunch of men in similar uniforms following the orders given to them by none other than Chiaki herself. The usual soft-spoken girl was loud now, making sure to issue her commands left and right. It was almost like he was watching a commander addressing her troops.

It an interesting sight to say the least.

"Oh, Uzumaki-san. I didn't expect to see you here."

Ryota was here too. Not surprising since he was basically partners with Chiaki for this little mission of theirs.

"What's going on here?" Naruto had to ask since he was totally lost.

"Nanami-san didn't tell you?" A look of surprise flashed on Ryota's face. "We got the games ready. Kuzuryu-san approved of what we came up with, so now we're organizing all the materials before they're brought to the park. This is the last batch."

Ryota said 'we,' but he wasn't involved in this process at all. No, Chiaki was doing this all by herself. He didn't seem to mind, though. Probably because he could see how much fun Chiaki was having with this.

"Eh, that so?" Naruto reached to his head to pat the sleeping Kurama. "If Fuyuhiko approved it, then I guess the games aren't going to be so bad."

Ryota sweatdropped a little. "I don't know about that…..."

"I am trying to be optimistic about this, but you make it so hard."

"…..I'm sorry."

Naruto sighed loudly. "Well, whatever. As long as they're good."

But really. The Kuzuryu clan was well-connected. Putting together a work force like this? And in such a short amount of time?

'Nagito said they have over 30,000 members in their ranks. I guess it was no exaggeration.'

Nothing else was to be expected from the family of the Ultimate Yakuza. Naruto just hoped the workers weren't being coerced into this or something like that. He would just have to trust that Fuyuhiko didn't rely on such methods.

Oh, and speaking of Nagito, the so-called luckster had excused himself after their brief conversation in the cafeteria. Something had seemed…...off about him, for a lack of a better word. Unfortunately, Nagito hadn't been too keen on sharing what his problem was, and Naruto knew better than to push too much in those kinds of situations. He was sure the boy would talk when he was ready.

"It's still really weird," Ryota said, bringing Naruto out of his thoughts. "I never expected to see this side of Nanami-san. I didn't think she had it in her."

"You think?" Naruto let out a small hum in thought. "Just about everyone has a side that they hide away from others. We're no exception. Whether we get the chance to express that side is a different story, or if we even want to. I think Chiaki doing this shows that she's more comfortable around us."

"A different side…..?" Ryota looked amused by Naruto's word choice. "That's convenient."

Convenient?

"What do you mean?"

For a second, it looked like Ryota would keep quiet. But then he spoke what was on his mind.

"It's a convenient explanation for those who know themselves I guess. But what if you didn't? What if you had no idea who you were? What you were? I don't think your convenient explanation would work then."

Naruto eyed the animator for a moment. It was back again. That feeling in the back of his head, like he was standing next to a different person. Just now, he was sure of it, more so than before. That there was something…..different about this Ryota and the one who normally interacted with them. It wasn't different like with Chiaki either. It was something more fundamental than that. But what was it?

Naruto was drawing a blank on that final piece of the puzzle.

"You say some interesting things, Ryota."

The round boy blinked as he processed that statement. There was a pause. A look of distress flashed on his eyes for just a second, and then it was gone. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would say he imagined that.

"I…..I don't know what you mean, Uzumaki-san."

Right, of course he didn't.

"Man, a lot of people do like to keep things to themselves, huh." Naruto's eyes met Ryota's. "Fuyuhiko, Nagito, and you. I think Peko-chan has a big secret too."

Ryota had no outward reaction to Naruto's words, but his mind was racing. What was the blond talking about? Could he know…...? No, there was no way he knew. He was just speculating, observing like he always did. That's something Ryota had come to expect from Uzumaki Naruto. While the boy looked dim witted on the surface, Ryota knew the blond was quick on the uptake when it came to reading people. That's how he was able to connect with the others so well. Ryota prided himself on being different from the rest, though. No, that wasn't it. It wasn't pride. He didn't have pride in his skills. Just…..it was simply the way things were. He was different. There was nothing else to it.

"I don't know what you mean. I think everyone has a secret or two they'd rather not share with others." Ryota chose the safe response.

Naruto's eyes scrutinized him further. "That is true. I admit to doing the same, which is why if I tried to call you out on it right now I'd be nothing more than a hypocrite. But I'm still curious about you. About all of you."

Ryota looked away. He had no idea how the conversation had taken this unexpected turn, and he didn't like it.

"Still, I trust you. So I'll wait for when you're ready to share."

Ryota snapped his head back to the blond, looking like a deer caught in headlights. That's how foreign he felt right now.

"You trust me….?"

Naruto grinned. "Heh, 'course I do! I trust all of you guys. We're the ones who are going to bring world peace, remember?"

That…..Ryota found himself feeling somewhat amused again, and awed. "You make things sound so easy, Uzumaki-san. And besides, you just admitted to keeping some stuff to yourself too. It wouldn't be very fair for us to share our secrets with you and you not do the same with us."

"You're right about that. Which is why I'll probably share my secrets too, one day." There was no hesitation on Naruto's part, because he was being sincere. Chiaki had already helped him come to terms with his situation, and he was sure the others could do the same too. It's what friends were for, to rely on one another in times of need. Not to mention that he was going to try and build a world where honesty was key. Keeping a big secret from his closest friends wouldn't do him any good with that, now would it? It was a complete change from before, where he wouldn't dare tell anyone about his past, where he came from. But if he couldn't trust his classmates, then who could he trust?

Ryota had no proper counter to this. Naruto had pretty much shattered right through his insecurities in one fell swoop, and the blond probably didn't realize it.

'He trusts me, huh…..'

It was the first time Ryota was told something like that, and it certainly made him happy. But…..

"You shouldn't speak of trust so easily, especially when you might not know the person well."

Ryota was stubborn, and he wouldn't be swayed so easily. Not after everything he had gone through in his life.

"That's true too, but that's the risk you take when you form bonds," Naruto replied, not bothered by Ryota's objection. "For better or worse, you're one of us, Ryota. That's why I'm willing to put my faith in you. It can end badly, yeah, but I'll make sure it doesn't have a bad end. Of that, I can promise you."

A promise…...again, the blond talked of such complex topics like he was discussing the weather. It was refreshing but also overbearing. Despite that, Ryota couldn't find it in himself to loathe the blond for it. Far from it. When Naruto spoke to him, it made Ryota believe that those words were truly aimed at him, and not…..well, Ryota.

Ryota closed his eyes and finally let out a smile. "Then I'll hold you to that."

Naruto didn't mind that one bit.

And so, the two boys shared a comfortable silence as they watched the workers complete the last of Chiaki's orders before driving off.

It was silly really, but for the first time in perhaps his entire life Ryota truly found himself comfortable standing next to someone else, almost like he could be himself. Just almost.

It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless.


"Holy shit, I can't believe this is real."

"I would reprimand you for your colorful language if it wasn't so appropriate."

"Yahooooooo! Ibuki is feeling pumped!"

Sonia looked positively pleased with herself as she watched Naruto, Ryota, Mahiru, Ibuki, and Hiyoko all gawk at the setup that was being done. They were at the park that Fuyuhiko had rented out for them. It was a beautiful place, with many different pathways that would be perfect for the food stands and games that were being built. At the center of the park was a massive circular walkway with a beautiful tree in the middle. Here, a stage had been set up. This was where the adoption was going to take place as it was the main attraction for the festival. The stage would also be where Naruto, Ibuki, and Hiyoko were going to perform before and after the adoption of the animals. And along with the stands and games, Sonia's own decorations were being put into place too. This included massive assortments of lights, and from what Naruto could see fireworks were going to be included too.

Sonia, just like with Fuyuhiko, wasn't taking this event lightly. Not surprising, as the princess always did things with vigor.

"I didn't think it was going to be this massive," Mahiru said, her eyes wide. It was the first time she was seeing the park for herself. Only Fuyuhiko had known what it looked like beforehand, with Sonia knowing soon after as she needed to get her setup complete.

"It's incredible." Even Hiyoko had to compliment the place and the decorations. She had to restrain herself from jumping around like a little kid in Halloween.

"Really?" Sonia clapped her hands, her face flushed with excitement. "Oh, I am pleased you like it! It took a while to decide everything, but it is all coming together!"

That it was. Naruto was impressed with the princess, as well as with Fuyuhiko. They had done well.

Ibuki couldn't contain herself any longer and ran for the stage, already imagining herself performing on it for a huge cheering crowd. And what made it better was that Naruto and Hiyoko would be at her side. Truly, this was bliss. Total bliss. She felt like playing her guitar now. The inspiration juice was flowing through her.

"Ibuki has so many songs she needs to share with the world! If only she had her guitar!"

Naruto didn't doubt Ibuki's words. The girl was always ready to take inspiration from anything that caught her interest.

"I-Is there food yet…...?"

Naruto switched his attention and watched how Nekomaru and Akane came walking from one of the paths of the park, the former carrying the latter over his shoulder. It looked like Akane was near death, funnily enough. Not only that, but her stomach was letting out massive rumbles that nearly made them go deaf. Yes, it was that strong.

"Stop being so melodramatic," Nekomaru chastised her as he put her down next to the stage. He didn't look affected by the noise at all. "You've only missed one meal."

"But it's lunch," Akane argued weakly, unable to stand on her own. She didn't look annoyed that Nekomaru had dropped her on the ground like a sack of potatoes either, probably because of her hunger.

The others had to sweatdrop at this. Just how much of a glutton was Akane anyway?

Wait, better not go down that road.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Sonia said excitedly from the stage. "I texted Hanamura-san. He should be coming over soon. He said he had some stew prepared for us already!"

It must be what he served Naruto earlier. Definitely a good choice.

"Heh, guess you guys were too busy to eat lunch earlier, huh." Hiyoko poked the groaning Akane with her foot. "Even this stamina freak is going down under."

"Yes, and I do apologize for that!" Sonia exclaimed, bowing to show her remorse. "We just needed to make sure the stage and some of the other stands were completed in time. Owari-san and Nidai-san really helped with that."

Understandable. Other than Naruto, the two were the strongest in terms of physical power. That would come in handy during construction.

"T'ch, it was no big deal," Nekomaru said while picking his nose. "Owari just likes to go for the theatrics."

Akane simply groaned in her defense.

Mahiru had to stop Hiyoko from stepping on the girl. "She really looks like she's dying, though."

"Huh, guess I have no choice." Nekomaru started cracking his knuckles. There was a sudden shift in the air as the electric hue around Nekomaru's eyes sparked stronger than usual. "I'll have to use it."

It? Naruto recalled Nekomaru talking about that before, about this it. But what was it?

'And why do I feel like I don't want to know?'

"U-Um." Mahiru seemed to be in agreement with him, while Hiyoko didn't look like she cared. Then again, she rarely showed any interest in what the others were doing.

"Just put her on the stage for now. She might feel better there." Naruto didn't feel like having an episode here, not when this whole park could be destroyed in the process. It's what was expected when Nekomaru was involved.

"I think that's a good idea!" Mahiru quickly jumped on board with his idea, not wanting to see what her stupidly powerful classmate was about to do.

Nekomaru seemed crestfallen about the suggestion but nonetheless complied.

While the team manager did that, Naruto looked at Sonia. "Hey, where's Peko-chan and Mikan?"

Mikan had told him that she had decided to help around here since she could look after the workers in case of any injury. It was unlikely to happen, but it was a simple precaution. Peko had come to help with the labor, feeling like it was the best job for her under the circumstances.

"Oh my." Sonia tilted her head. "I believe Pekoyama-san left earlier with Kuzuryu-san. They were going to see Tanaka-san about a matter concerning the animals that were going to be put for adoption."

"Eh?" Ibuki poked her head over Sonia's shoulders. "Peko-chan and Fuyuhiko-chan? Those two? Ibuki didn't think they were close enough to be alone like that! Ibuki smells sparks in the air!"

Wasn't that just Nekomaru with his crazy eyes?

Mahiru shook her head. "Stop making it sound like something it isn't, Mioda-san. Those two have a normal relationship, that's all."

The redhead was sensible like that.

"Oh~" Hiyoko started to grin. "But you can't help but wonder, right~"

Oh great. Hiyoko agreeing with Ibuki? Not a good sign.

"Stop sounding like Teruteru, you two," Naruto drawled out. "They're classmates. There's nothing wrong with them getting along like this."

Right?

Ibuki's eyes twinkled. "Oh la-la-la~ Naruto-chan and Mahiru-chan sounded like a couple just now, agreeing so easily with one another. Is this the beginning of a new ship?"

"Wha-!" Mahiru looked on the verge of passing out after she processed what Ibuki was implying, but not in the same manner as Akane. It was the exact opposite actually. While Akane was turning whiter than a sheet of paper, Mahiru's whole body was red, making her look like a tomato. The others were sure steam would be coming out of her ears if this were a cartoon.

"A ship?" Sonia perked up. "What does that mean?"

Naruto felt confused too. "What are you talking about, Ibuki?"

"Oh." Ibuki looked away, her face full of disappointment. "Sonia-chan is understandable, but you too? Once again, you have disappointed Ibuki, Naruto-chan."

But how!?

"J-Just…...shut up, you!" Mahiru meant to sound and look threatening, but the stutter and giant blush made sure to have the opposite effect, so much so that Naruto felt himself getting second-hand embarrassment. He had to admit that Mahiru looked pretty cute right now. She was the exact opposite of her usual strong self. It was…...new.

But he would never say this out loud. Never. Mahiru would probably kill him if he did.

Ryota didn't bother to join the conversation, not wanting to get sucked in. No, he simply observed. It was more entertaining this way.

Sonia glanced to one of the paths leading out of the circle, putting the 'ship' topic aside for now. "Tsumiki-san was with Soda-san the last time I saw her," she said, answering the other part of Naruto's question. "He was finishing putting together one of the games Nanami-san came up with."

Naruto stared at Ryota who didn't meet his gaze.

Oh great.

"This isn't going to cause problems, is it?"

"I-I don't know why y-you would say that," Ryota stuttered out before pointing at him. "Have faith in your classmates! That's what you said, right?"

When it came to this? Not a chance.

And then there was Chiaki. She was leading a group of men down one of the pathways of the park, a map in her hand. They were carrying a lot of supplies with them. Naruto suspected it was for one of her other ideas.

"You guys can start eating without me when Teruteru gets here," he said as he started to follow the gamer girl. Kurama meanwhile jumped off his head to stay behind with Sonia on the stage. "I'll be making sure Chiaki doesn't cause any problems."

Mahiru smiled weakly while waving her arm. "I think you're overreacting a little. Nanami-san isn't that bad."

Maybe, but he had to make sure. Besides, he was also curious about the kinds of games she came up with. Ryota wasn't going to give him a straight answer, so might as well get it straight from the source.

"Have fun!" Sonia's smile and Akane's groans bid him goodbye.


Naruto found Chiaki right where he expected her to be, giving out some more orders with her nostrils flaring in what could only be excitement.

"You have to be quick! We only have another day to work on this! There are still three other sections that need to be checked!"

"U-Um, right…...ma'am."

The workers looked to be out of their element. Naruto couldn't blame them. They probably weren't used to being ordered around by a high school girl.

"And where is Soda-kun?" Chiaki brought her clenched hands to her chest. "He's the only one here who can install the extra feature! The flour has to be in the right position, otherwise it can compromise the whole setup!"

Wait, flour? Flour!?

"Chiaki, what the hell is this?" Naruto asked bluntly, staring at the contraption that was being set up. It looked like some kind of tower, with stairs and ropes to climb on to reach the different floors. Naruto had no idea what kind of game this was supposed to be.

Chiaki looked proud of herself. "It's a new game of course. I call it Flour Tower! It's based on the very fist Donkey Kong game, the arcade version. It's old, but it's one of the classics. The objective of the game is simple. You have to climb to the top of the tower to win while you're bombarded with flour by the person at the top. Mitarai-kun said barrels were too dangerous, and anything slippery could lead to serious injury. We don't have enough time to set up acceptable safety features, so I had to go with flour. But this still looks like fun!"

She got a helluva lot more talkative when it came to games, didn't she? And what the heck was Donkey Kong? Naruto had never heard of such a thing before. It was just another thing that was out of his field of expertise.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think you would have an eye for games that aren't in those machines of yours."

Chiaki smiled softly. "Hmm, I suppose that's true. Before, I never would have considered it. Thanks to this activity, I've gained a new appreciation for stuff like this. Working on an idea, and bringing it to life…..it's really fun. I guess maybe I've grown a little?"

That was a funny way of putting it.

"This isn't a game," Naruto said, somewhat entertained by her phrasing. "You don't level up here."

He used that term correctly, right? Leveling up. That's what he had done when he played that game with the others. When he did level up, he basically became stronger in the game. Apparently that was something basic in video games.

"True, but I still think it's appropriate to use," she said, her hands now on the straps of her backpack. "It's like I told you before. When you have talent, it's almost like you're bound to it. Trapped even. For the longest time, it felt like there was nothing else for me to do outside of playing video games. But now I know that's not true. I can share my video games with others, and I can also create my own games too." Chiaki's face glowed with her happiness. "It makes me believe that there is still more out there for me to experience, and I'm very grateful for that."

Well, what do you know. She could articulate her feelings very well, couldn't she? But Naruto had already picked up on this from before, when she was able to help him snap out of his despair. Chiaki could make for a great leader if she tried, if she had more confidence in herself.

"Talent isn't everything." Naruto repeated those words, the same ones he told Nagito. "You're not limited by your talent, Chiaki. You're more than that."

His words hadn't changed. Naruto had shared his belief with her back in the camping trip, something Chiaki was grateful for. Back then, she had been happy to know he believed in her, but she still had doubted herself. She doubted if she could really grow past her talent. Now, she had proof.

There was still something she was curious about, though.

"Tell me, Uzumaki-kun. Do you believe that you were always destined to be a ninja? That your path was chosen from the moment you were born?"

Naruto blinked. He was startled by the question. Somehow, he expected a question like this from Nagito, not Chiaki of all people. Still, he wasn't going to not answer. Not when she looked at him with those curious eyes of hers. They made her look like an attentive student who would cling to his every word.

"That's a tough one." Naruto looked up at the clouds floating across the sky over their heads. "A good friend of mine once believed that destiny was fixed. That once you were born, you could do nothing but follow the path that destiny had laid out for you. If you were a failure, you would always be a failure. If you were a genius, then you would always be a genius."

Chiaki already knew his answer, but she asked him anyway. "Do you believe that also?"

"There is no denying talent. Whether we like it or not, it will always exist. Some people will just naturally be better at some stuff than others." Naruto shrugged. "But it's definitely not everything. Just because someone has a head start it doesn't mean you can never catch up to them. It's only when you give up that it becomes impossible." He chuckled. "I had another friend who who was the exact opposite but still became one of the strongest ninja around, and he did it through sweat and tears. He was a great inspiration for everyone who knew him. So it's definitely possible."

"But that could also be the work of destiny," Chiaki said softly. "Maybe that friend was always destined to get that strong, but he didn't know it."

"Man, you're really stubborn about this, aren't you?" Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe there are invisible strings everywhere and we just can't see them. I can't you a good answer on that. But what I can tell you is that someone once told me what my destiny was. And it was to fight and kill my best friend, or be killed by him."

Chiaki gave Naruto her full attention. How could she not after that statement?

"I don't-"

"It's complicated." It really was. "It didn't change anything for me, though. I didn't really give a crap about that. Still don't. I just wanted to save him. It goes back to that friend from before that I mentioned. Who believed in a fixed destiny. He did the same thing I did. He told destiny to go fuck itself." He chuckled at his own words.

Chiaki crinkled her nose. "That's really crude, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto chuckled some more. "Yeah, but it was awesome." He hadn't forgotten Neji, and what he had done. Naruto would make sure to carry that for the rest of his life, along with the memories of everyone else.

He focused back on Chiaki. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can never know what the right path is in life until you do it. Just do what you want and don't have any regrets. Stuff like fate shouldn't factor in. Otherwise, you're only going to be miserable." He glanced back up to the sky. "Life is pretty much as wide and open as the sky above us. You can do anything you want. It doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, or that you'll always be happy. But I think that's part of being human."

Mistakes. Chiaki had experienced that before. Not in the form of her games, but with other aspects of her life. She could never make friends, and she knew about nothing other than gaming. It's why Chiaki still cherished Naruto's words, as it was the first time anyone showed that much support for her.

Even she doubted herself. Could she really be more than just the Ultimate Gamer? Were games the only thing she could succeed at? Was that the only path open to her? These were all questions that she had asked herself over and over again throughout her life.

'The future is like the sky.' Chiaki's face softened as she followed Naruto's example and looked up at the blue sky. It was definitely beautiful and vast.

Just like the future. It wouldn't be easy, but wasn't she already taking her first steps into that unknown horizon? With this festival, she was designing games for others to enjoy, not just playing them. It wasn't anything major, sure, but it was something. And as long as she continued to believe, then the chance was there, right?

Yes. The chance was always there. She just had to reach out and take it.

"By the way." Naruto looked at her again. "That friend you were 'destined' to kill…...what happened? Did you...do it? Or..."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Eh, I think that's a story for another time."

Chiaki puffed out her cheeks. "That's not fair, Uzumaki-kun. You can't leave the story there. It was just getting to the good part!"

'Good part,' she said. More like soul crushing.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Naruto was about to respond but closed his mouth at those words. "You seem to be carrying something big," Chiaki continued, sure of herself. "I noticed the same thing during our trip. Tell me, Uzumaki-kun. Will you ever share your burden…...with me? With us?"

So Chiaki could read people too, huh.

"You know, you're not the first one to ask me that today," Naruto said with some humor in his voice. He then turned a bit more serious. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll definitely be sure to tell you guys…...everything. I'm sure you'll be able to help me again when that time comes."

They had already given him new bonds to treasure.

Chiaki smiled, and it was one of the purest smiles Naruto had ever seen in his life.

"Of course. We are friends, after all."


"You're not doing a very good job at hiding, ya know."

Naruto didn't bother to hide his amusement as Sonia turned to him with an unintentional loud "eep!" escaping from her mouth. It was very cute, he wasn't going to deny that.

"N-Naruto! You scared me!" The princess had to steady her heart as she leaned on the tree she had been hiding behind. Naruto was dangling upside down from one of the branches, still looking amused.

"You shouldn't sneak on people like that!" Honestly. One second, he was walking away from the area, and the next he was suddenly behind her!

"Eh, I'm a ninja. If I didn't sneak on people, then I would be going against my training. And it's fun to scare people."

The last comment made her smile. "You really have a prankster's heart, do you not?"

Oh, Sonia. Always trying to stay positive and upbeat. It was one of the things Naruto liked the most about her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Naruto jumped down from the branch and landed next to her. "I know Chiaki is in hard-mode right now, but she's not that scary."

Past the tree was where he had been talking to Chiaki just a few moments prior. The girl had stayed behind to make sure that her contraption was completed perfectly.

"Y-Yes, well, I came to get you and Nanami-san since lunch is ready. Hanamura-san arrived with the food he promised."

Even though he told her she didn't have to do that? Again, she was just too nice. But man, Teruteru got here fast. He must have gotten excited to hear that the others wanted his cooking again.

"And you spied on us because…...?"

Sonia blushed. So she was caught.

"I-I do apologize sincerely!" She bowed so fast Naruto was afraid she snapped her back or something. "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation with Nanami-san, but it looked important and I didn't want to intrude."

Well, it's not like Naruto was mad at her. It wasn't anything worth getting worked up over.

"B-But…..."

"Hm?" She had something to say?

Sonia straightened her back and stared at him. "What you said about destiny…..."

Naruto crossed his arms. So she had definitely overheard them. "What? Do you disagree with me?"

It wouldn't be the first time.

Sonia shook her head. "No, far from it. I actually believe…..or rather, I want to believe what you said is true. I've been trying to believe that for many years now."

There was a shift in Sonia's attitude. She was no longer the bubbly and excited girl that was always up for trying new things. No, instead she looked older now. More…..mature. But it wasn't a happy picture. It more like the portrait of someone who had given up.

"Did something happen, Sonia?"

His words snapped her out of that mood, and she looked apologetic. "I'm very sorry! I did not mean to bring the mood down. This is a happy occasion!"

Naruto sighed. "If you're not happy, then no one else will be. The others would agree too."

"It's not like that at all!" Sonia exclaimed. "You have to believe me, Naruto. I am happy. More happy than I've ever been in my life! I finally have friends I can talk to without having to worry about my status, or what people might think. I can just be a normal girl here. It's everything I could ask for, and it's only possible because of you."

So that's what she was worried about? It made sense. Naruto admitted that he never had to concern himself with stuff like that. Image? Status? To him, as Gaara would put it, those were merely outdated thoughts that only held people back. He saw no need for them.

Sonia was different. She was royalty. A princess. She had to deal with those expectations from the day she was born. She could never be just Sonia. She was Sonia Nevermind, princess of her kingdom. That was the image she had to uphold, whether she liked it or not.

Sonia's features were soft as she said, "I can escape from that life here. It won't last forever, I know this, but it still fills me with happiness. As much as I love my kingdom and my people, I want to experience this happiness for a little while longer."

Even if this world was more advanced, even though many things were different from his village, some things never changed. Sonia had to go through one of the problems that had plagued the shinobi world for a long time. No, she was still going through it. She didn't think she could escape it. At least, not forever.

"I don't really know much about your kingdom, Sonia, but I can speak for everyone when I say that you don't have to burden yourself with thoughts like that when you're with us," Naruto reassured her. "We just want you. Sonia, the girl who's a bit weird but is also our classmate and dear friend. We won't ask for anything more than that."

"Naruto….." Sonia's eyes watered a little. They were simple words, but they meant a lot to her.

When she began to step closer to him, Naruto expected a hug. But instead, she lightly punched him in the chest. It didn't hurt, but he didn't think it was supposed to.

"I am not weird."

She said this, all the while having a smile on her face. It was a smile that came from the heart. Naruto realized that this must have been something that was weighing on her mind a lot, even if she didn't fully realize it. She must have wanted to be reassured that she could be herself around them with no problems and no judgement. Sonia might be a princess, but she was also a teenage girl, and as such she had her own insecurities.

She was no different from everyone else.

Naruto doubted that many people could see that, though. Not just in her kingdom, but by people around here too. It was the same for the others, as he had come to notice. Heck, that rang true for him as well. Just being classified as an Ultimate was enough to make other people look at you differently.

Getting her tears under control, Sonia stepped back and bowed again. "I'm sorry for forcing you to bear witness to that. I don't know what came over me…..."

Always apologizing. Probably another byproduct from her childhood.

"Don't worry about it. It's just like I told Chiaki." It was Naruto who stepped closer to her this time. Sonia shot him a questioning look, but instead of explaining his actions Naruto flicked her on the forehead. The blond chuckled when she squeaked at the unexpected strike.

It was a very cute sound.

"You can choose your own path. And we'll be there to help you."

Even if it meant not being a princess anymore.

"That…." Sonia was at a loss for words for a moment before rubbing her forehead and pouting. "You sound so positive all the while striking me, a lady. You definitely lack delicacy, Naruto."

Yeah, he did.

Oh, and the pouting was cute too.


Alright, whoever predicted that I wouldn't be able to fit everyone else in two chapters (I'm looking at you, Black), then you were right!

I hate it when other people are right.

But yeah. I totally underestimated the amount of stuff I had yet to cover. I honestly thought I could get to the Kuzuryu dinner in this chapter, but as it turns out…..I wasn't even close.

I really need to stop underestimating my content. Second time in a row this has happened. I need to get my act together!

Anyway, that's all from me. Thanks again for all of your continued support.

Till next time.