Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.


Chapter 19:
We Dream

When Naruto found Ryota, the pudgy animator was in the midst of eating a whole set of yakitori, which was basically various kinds of grilled chicken on sticks. He was carrying other stuff with him too, including a Jaga Bata which was essentially a grilled potato with butter.

Yeah, Ryota could eat just about anything it seemed.

It was a nostalgic sight for Naruto. It reminded him of Choji, his other pudgy and food loving friend. Thinking back on that, Naruto had to wonder who would win a food eating contest: Choji or Ryota. The two were very closely matched in Naruto's eyes, but who was the stronger eater of the two?

'Nah, Akane would probably win.'

She would probably show up halfway and eat everything before anyone could stop her. Surely her appetite was the most ultimate of the ultimates.

The amusing recollection aside, Naruto approached Ryota who still hadn't noticed him.

"Yo, so this is where you were."

Ryota turned swiftly to him, his cheeks seeming to flap from the quick movement.

"U-Uzumaki-san!" That's what he said, but like with Peko earlier only gibberish came out thanks to his mouth being stuffed.

Naruto chuckled. "Having fun?"

Ryota quickly swallowed so that he could speak. It was another talent of his. "You could say that, y-yeah." He looked around. "Are the others nearby? What are you doing here?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Naruto gave the round boy a slap on the back. "I'm looking for you of course! Everyone's worried about you since you decided to go off on your own."

"Worried?" Ryota frowned. "There is no reason for them to worry. I just wanted to spend some time alone is all."

There was nothing weird about that, right?

That's what Ryota was hoping for anyway. Truth be told, he wanted to drown his "sorrow" so to speak with food. That's why he was eating so much. He wanted to forget about his earlier "confrontation," which dealt with stuff he'd rather not share with the others just yet.

Naruto had a feeling it was something like that. The troubled part that is. As quiet as Ryota could be, he was always more than ready to interact with the group when he could.

So this was definitely suspicious to the blond.

"I'll manage." Ryota finally relented and shared that much. He knew Naruto wasn't going to let up until he said something. "It's not really that big a deal. Maybe I was sulking, but that's only because I feel powerless."

The usual meekness in his voice, which could sometimes rival Mikan's, was gone. Ryota's voice was softer now, and underneath that was a strength that his usual voice lacked.

Naruto picked up on this but didn't comment on it.

"Powerless, huh? Well, I can relate to that. There have been times before where it felt like there was nothing I could. That no matter what action I took it wouldn't change a thing."

Everyone probably felt that way at one point or another. It was frustrating, but so was life in general.

Ryota looked away. Suddenly, he wasn't feeling very hungry.

The two started to walk together after that. Ryota didn't know why he was following the blond. He really did want to be alone right now, but…..he also wanted to vent.

"I really do envy you sometimes."

"Hm?" Naruto glanced at his companion. "That's weird. Why would you envy me?"

"Because you're able to help others in ways no normal person can." Ryota smiled bitterly at this. "Our class is a great example of that. It's only been two weeks, but you've already changed our lives. I can tell that many of them were lonely before coming to Hope's Peak." Perhaps all. "They all had talent, but they still lacked something more meaningful."

As did he. Or maybe he still lacked it? Ryota was still confused about that part, embarrassingly enough.

"I just wish I was able to do that as well."

To help the one person who knew the true him…...Ryota wanted that more than anything else. And yet, he couldn't even do that much.

He was pathetic.

Naruto faced forward. A group of kids ran by them, all of them laughing and seemingly without a care in the world. It was definitely a touching sight.

"There have been times when I was unable to do anything for my friends," he began, causing Ryota to look at him with surprise. "To be honest with you, that's how it was with my closest friend. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't save him or stop him from his obsession. It was scary, watching him change. It was as if he was a totally different person. It was also painful, knowing that I was in a position to help but not being able to do anything to stop him. I almost hated myself at one point."

Ryota masked his emotions as much as he could, but it was impossible to do so completely.

"I don't really know what you're mixed up in, or what your friend is going through. But I can tell you this much. Don't give up. If you do, then nothing will change."

Ryota averted his gaze. He felt defeated again.

"So you were able to figure out that much."

Damn him.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, yeah. You kinda let loose there for a second."

The whole "I want to help people like you do" was the biggest clue anyone could ask for.

Dammit. Ryota needed to watch what he said next time. He needed to remember that the blond next to him was perceptive at times like this.

Or maybe just be honest and straightforward?

'No. I'm still afraid….'

After distrusting people for so long…..opening up wouldn't come so easily for him.

Ryota then smiled. "I still thank you for those words. I can't say I have an answer, but 'not giving up' sounds doable enough."

"Heh, it's one of the few things that can't betray you in this world." Naruto grinned happily. "And I'm sure your friend appreciates it. You just have to be patient."

Patient, huh? Perhaps, but Ryota wouldn't just sit idly by either.

It was a baseless hope, perhaps, but it still strengthened Ryota and shifted his mood. More importantly, his appetite starter to come back.

"I guess we should get back to the others now?"

Naruto smiled at this.

"Of course."

Naruto was glad to have Ryota back on board with them.


By the time the two got back to where the others were, a different scene was already being played out.

"I can't keep feeding you! You've eaten too much already!"

Teruteru was looking alarmed as Akane devoured the latest dish that he had prepared for her.

The others stood around the stall, all looking sheepish or defeated by the sight. Or in Sato's case, almost ready to barf.

"H-How can she eat so much?" she asked weakly, holding her stomach to stop herself from hurling out her lunch.

Mahiru sweatdropped. "We don't question it by this point."

Gundham crossed his arms. "H'mph, her stomach truly does bear resemblance to that of an empty void, ready to swallow anything that dares come near it."

"She's just a beast, I tell you." Hiyoko was more amused as she snickered. "We should totally sell her to a zoo. I'm sure plenty of people would get a kick out of seeing her."

"Seriously, your comments are just…." Kazuichi looked disgruntled by Hiyoko's words. She could be really dark sometimes, and that still scared him from time to time.

"Eh, but this is a party!" Akane banged her hands on the table that was provided by the stall. "In a party, you eat as much as you can! Especially food like this!"

It was a compliment, but Teruteru couldn't be really happy with it. Not right now.

Naruto could only shake his head as he and Ryota neared them.

"You guys are already going all out, I see."

They all turned to the pair, and their faces lit up when they saw Ryota.

"Ah, Mitarai-san!" Sonia was the first to greet them. "I'm glad Naruto was able to find you!"

"W-Well, I wasn't lost or anything….."

He wasn't a little child, okay!

"Still, we were worried about you." Mahiru smiled at him. "We're happy to see you back with us."

"Indeed." Nekomaru flexed his arms, which were visible for anyone to see since his kimono had no sleeves. "I was almost getting ready to drag you out here myself!"

That would have been scary.

"Who cares about that depressing crap!" Ibuki jumped in front of the group, still running on the high from her earlier performance. "It's just like Akane-chan said! This is a party, so let's go and rock out!"

"Rocking out is…." Mikan didn't know the exact word, but it would really be embarrassing for her! She was still holding on to Kurama, and the little fox looked very comfortable in her arms.

"Well, there are still some games I haven't tried around here." Chiaki scanned the nearby stalls. "Ah, and that old man still has my plushies."

Chiaki didn't want to have to hold them, so she told the man in charge of the stall to keep her stuffed animals until she went back to get them.

"Moving together would be quite difficult," Peko said. "Especially since everyone wants to do different things."

"Heh, there's no reason to stress over this." Fuyuhiko smirked. "Everyone can do whatever they want. We'll still be having fun together, right?"

What a softie.

"So you say, but I'm gonna be stuck here." Teruteru chuckled weakly from inside his stall. Sure he had a lot of fun serving people, but he wanted to enjoy the festival too! Especially since all the girls were in kimonos!

"With how Owari is eating up all your inventory, I don't think you'll have to worry about that for too much longer."

Fuyuhiko's comment only made Teruteru look down in slight gloom.

"It's like she can never stop eating….."

Had he finally met his match!?

"Hahaha, what's the matter, Hanamura-kun?" Nagito smiled. "I'm sure the Ultimate Chef won't be defeated by this challenge, correct?"

Nagito's words seemed to revitalize the cook as he threw both hands into the air.

"Argh, so be it! I'm going to cook until you drop dead! And your panties will be overflowing with so much excitement, they'll need a mop to clean it up!"

Now was that last part really necessary?

"Alright!" Akane didn't care either way. Hey, she was getting more delicious food. What was there to complain about? "Bring it on!"

"Well, looks like those two are preoccupied." Naruto was sure Akane wasn't going to be leaving Teruteru's stall anytime soon. "So what are we going to do first?"

The others looked at one another.

They had a whole night to enjoy, and a festival to do so.

The possibilities were endless.


"Holy shit, I've been meaning to ask you. But how many people did you hire for this?"

"Hire? What are you talking about? All these people paid to have their stalls set up here."

"What!? They paid!? So you're saying your clan is making a profit from this!?"

"Basically, yeah."

Kazuichi's mind was blown. "You yakuza don't do things halfheartedly I see."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "Just who do you think we are? If there's money to be gained, we'll jump on it."

"That's slightly terrifying, you know…..."

"Take it however you want."

Naruto listened to the two and their back-and-forth while also keeping his eyes opened for anything worth checking out. The three of them had ended up together, which had surprised Naruto and Fuyuhiko. They were sure that Kazuichi would have jumped at the chance to be with Sonia during the festival.

When confronted about it, Kazuichi had a simple response.

"I sorta realized something earlier, when we were on the stage together. I think it's what Uzumaki was trying to tell me. Miss Sonia probably likes Tanaka more because he isn't pushing anything on her. If I keep pushing, I'll get nowhere. That's why I'm going to give her some space. Maybe that will help her be more comfortable around me."

It was a very mature response, and for a moment Naruto was tempted to punch Kazuichi to see if he was real.

Whatever the case, it was a nice change of pace for them.

The others were all close by, also doing their own thing. As Mahiru had put it, this was a night for all of them to be together.

Kurama was once again on Naruto's head, and he seemed comfortable enough to take another nap. How he could sleep with all of this noise was beyond Naruto. But at least it was a good sign that he was getting used to the busy nature of urban life.

"Hey, you three. You feeling lucky tonight?"

The trio paused when they heard this. Usually, this would be a line used by a vendor trying to get their attention. Instead, they didn't find someone in a stall trying to sell them something. Rather, they were met with a guy either in his late teens or early twenties looking up at them from his little makeshift setup. Said setup included a small table where a crystal ball sat in the middle, and underneath the table was some kind of purple cloth. Maybe a carpet of sorts? To try and make everything look more neat?

It had the opposite effect on the three, though. They looked immediately put off by all of this.

"What the hell is this?" Kazuichi was the first to question it.

"Hehe, what do you think it is? It's your lucky day!"

It sure didn't feel like it was.

Fuyuhiko was more than just wary about this, though. He was downright suspicious. "Do you have permission to set up shop here?"

He had gone through the list multiple times, and he didn't remember seeing anything like this on there. Then again, just what was this?

"A-Ah, but of course!" The way he said that only made Fuyuhiko more suspicious. "I wouldn't trespass or anything like that! I'm always welcomed at festivals like this! For you see, the one standing before you is none other than the great Supernova!"

The so-called Supernova had brown skin with a stubble on his chin and dark brown eyes. His dark brown hair was styled in dreadlocks. He wore some a Japanese male uniform jacket over his shoulders and black shaggy pants. Just as with his introduction, he didn't have a very striking appearance.

And as expected, he was met with silence from the three boys, who had no idea what he was talking about. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Fuyuhiko felt like he had heard that nickname before, but he couldn't quite remember.

Their lackluster response only made the so-called Supernova depressed.

"No, I get it. You don't understand my greatness. So many people would want their fortunes told by me, and yet you don't react at all."

Fortune?

"So that's what you do." Naruto finally got it. This guy was a fortune teller.

"Eh, seriously?" Kazuichi blinked, probably trying to process this. "Is that the crystal ball is all about?"

"T'ch, don't judge it! I've been trying to get a new one that's more presentable, but this does the job just fine!"

Wow. All of a sudden, this guy sounded….annoyed?

Weird.

"We're not really interested in fortunes, though." Naruto wasn't anyway.

Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko seemed to share his sentiment, as they were getting ready to walk away and look for something else to do.

"Aw, c'mon! You can't do that!" The guy pleaded. "What's the harm in getting your future told? I bet you're wondering what's waiting for you, right? Like if the girl you like likes you back! Or what job you're gonna get!"

"I'll do it!"

Only Kazuichi took the bait, jumping at the idea of finding out if he and Sonia were destined to tie the knot, so to speak.

Naruto felt like slapping him. "Don't buy into this crap, Kazuichi. These things are always a scam."

"Say what!?" The Supernova took that personally. "I'll have you know that my fortune telling isn't a scam! Don't confuse it with that occult crap! This is the real deal!"

Naruto wasn't convinced in the slightest, though.

Noticing this, the Supernova slapped his hand on the table. "Alright, if that's how you want to be! I'll give you a trial run, blondie! To show you that I'm the real deal!"

A trial run?

"Heh, he's probably just gonna make up some bull crap," Fuyuhiko snorted, also dismissing the so-called fortune teller.

Kazuichi just wanted a chance to see if his future lied with Miss Sonia. He might have matured a bit, but his love was the real deal dammit!

The Supernova started to stroke his chin, his face appearing thoughtful. It was almost as if he was concentrating hard on something. Naruto didn't know, but it was probably something stupid anyway.

"I would normally use my tarot cards for this, but I'm already getting a strong feeling! It's like the gods are smiling down on you! Amazing."

What the hell?

'This is total bullshit….'

Whatever little interest Naruto may have had toward this, it was totally gone now. He was sure whatever this guy was going to tell him, it wasn't worth anything.

"Hmm. Hmmmmmm, I see. That's very interesting." The Supernova smacked his hand on his open palm. "This is a first for me, getting a reading so easily. But it's unmistakable! It looks like your children will have three different mothers!….or was it five? The vision was too faint for me to see it too clearly, but I definitely saw at least three motherly figures! There you have it! That's your future, blondie!"

His "reading" was met with more silence from the trio. The three were staring at him like he was a buffoon until Kazuichi broke down into tears.

"I knew it! I knew this guy was an eroge character!" The mechanic turned on Naruto, grabbed the sleeves of his kimono, and started shaking him. "You're going to get a harem, aren't you, you blond bastard! You're going to leave the rest of us behind while you ascend into adulthood! I'm so jealous! How could this happen to you but not me!?"

"C-Calm down, Kazuichi! That was clearly a lie! That's never going to happen! Like seriously, what's a 'motherly' figure anyway? It's clearly nonsense!"

For real. There wasn't even one girl that was interested in him, let alone five. That future was bullshit!

"Nope, that's what I saw." The Supernova was insistent, though. "My visions never lie!"

Oh, yeah?

"How often are you right?"

"Well, it depends. But on a good day, I can have a good accuracy rate of thirty percent."

Just thirty percent!?

"This is bullshit."

"I don't know about that." Naruto looked at Fuyuhiko who seemed to be unperturbed now. "The idiot is clearly a playboy. I can totally see that happening."

He knew about one case anyway….maybe two.

Naruto looked betrayed. "How can you say that? I haven't done a thing to anyone!"

Uzumaki Naruto was a nice guy! Honest! There was no way he could juggle multiple girls! He didn't even have one!

"Heh, seems like you have your own problems to deal with, blondie!" The Supernova was definitely amused. "But I'm jealous of you! Getting five wives. What is this, you a Chinese emperor or something?"

Naruto wanted to smack this guy. "Shut up! This is all because of your bullshit reading!"

And what did he mean by five wives!? How do you jump from three to five anyway? It made no sense!

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who's out there seeing girls and then getting them pregnant! It's your future!"

"You're not even right half the time! Like hell I'm listening to you!"

"You just keep insulting me, even though I was nice enough to give you a discount! How ungrateful!"

Ungrateful? Ungrateful!? The nerve of this guy!

"H'mph, whatever! It doesn't matter. Just give me my thousand yen, and we can move on!"

Wait, what?

"A thousand yen?" Naruto deadpanned. "Why the hell would I give you any money?"

And that much?

"What do you mean!? It's for the trial run just now!"

Fuyuhiko felt like he was going to get a headache just from listening to this.

"Fucking dumbass, do you even know how a trial run works?"

"Of course I do! But like, how else am I supposed to get any money?"

This guy…..Naruto was right. He was a total waste of time.

"I suddenly don't feel like getting my fortune," Kazuichi muttered. Not just because of how pathetic this guy sounded, but because there was no way he had a thousand yen to spare on something like this. He wasn't rich.

The Supernova grumbled. "You guys are haters! And after I was so nice too…."

Naruto gained a tic mark. "You forced a reading on me, gave me some nonsense about having five wives or whatever, and then try to charge me for it!? How the hell is that nice!?"

Did words have different meanings now?

"W-Whatever! Just get out of here! You're going to make me lose business."

But there was no one else in line?

The trio were happy to leave, though, especially Naruto who was now grumbling under his breath.

"What the hell? That was so stupid."

Fuyuhiko looked away with a grin. "Yeah, but it didn't sound so farfetched to me."

"Not you too! Cut the crap, will you?"

"I'm just saying-"

"Say nothing!"

Fuyuhiko was definitely going to milk this later.

Kazuichi also grumbled, but for a total different reason. "I'll be keeping my eye on you, Uzumaki. Mark my words. You won't be doing that while I'm around. I won't let you hog all the fun to yourself."

Naruto sweatdropped, ready to burst in tears at his misfortune.

"Seriously, I don't get this at all."

Why did this stuff always happen to him?


Sato had to stop herself from gawking like a fish out of water, but it wasn't very easy for her.

"H-How did she-?"

She pointed a shaky finger at Chiaki, who had more than thirty plushies stacked up around her. It was like a fort or something.

"Hmm, I think I might have gotten a bit too excited," Chiaki murmured. She didn't exactly look troubled or anything, though. It was more like….carrying all of this was going to be a huge hassle for her.

Mahiru was quick to snap a picture while also laughing.

"Ahahaha, I think you've played enough games for tonight, Nanami-san. Anymore and you might end up buried under your new collection!"

"Sounds good to me." Hiyoko giggled. "I kinda want to see that!"

Sato was slowly learning that Hiyoko could be very…..sadistic. But more than that, why didn't either of them look surprise by what Chiaki had just done? Was this normal or something?

"Oh, you totally hit the mark on Ibuki's heart, Chiaki-chan!" The musician was next to Chiaki and the game the gamer girl had nearly just cleared out. The poor man behind the counter looked exhausted from simply having watched Chiaki make easy pickings of his game. He didn't have many prizes left either. It was a sad day for him.

"I-I think you should be more careful." Next to Ibuki was Mikan who was trying her best to make sure that Ibuki didn't try anything crazy. "They're not real bullets, b-but getting hit would still hurt."

"You worry too much, Mikan-chan." Ibuki was more carefree, as usual. "Besides, we can't let Chiaki-chan get the upper hand on us! We have to show her that we're tough too!"

Tough….in what way?

"I really don't get this." Sato felt exhausted just watching everything play out. "Is this common around here, Mahiru?"

"Hm? Yeah, I guess." Mahiru had to think about it for a moment. "You get used to it after a while. It sort of becomes like everyday life."

Sato couldn't picture that at all.

'Do you have to be really intense to be an Ultimate?'

Sato's only experience with an Ultimate was Mahiru, who was more or less normal. But everyone else was just…..

'No, I can't say Mahiru is totally normal either.'

Her friend was handling all of this like it was nothing. That wasn't something a normal person could do. It was the difference between those who were blessed with talent and those not so lucky. That's how Sato saw it anyway.

But this didn't make her angry or anything. It was the total opposite. It made her realize how amazing Mahiru was. Sato was simply lucky to be acquainted with her. Regardless, she would cherish this. A chance to get to know more of Mahiru and her world…..it was like a gift from above.

There was only one problem, and it came in the form of a blond with whiskers.

"Come quick, everyone!" Sonia suddenly came running up to them, her face flushed with excitement. "Naruto and Nidai-san are about to have a duel!"

"A duel?" Chiaki tilted her head. "What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means!?" Ibuki was already jumping in excitement, forgetting completely about the game next to her. "We get to see them duke it out till one drops dead!"

"D-Dead!?" Mikan nearly shrieked. She was the first one to take off running down where Sonia was pointing. "I-I can't let that happen! I'm his nurse!"

"Sheesh, making such a big fuss." Hiyoko huffed. "I'm sure it's just something stupid."

She was curious, though.

"Probably." Mahiru was thinking the same thing, but she still smiled. "Let's go. We need to make sure those idiots don't die."

Hiyoko snickered. "True. Big Bro would be lost without us."

"I think you're misunderstanding something," Chiaki said as she joined them, while Ibuki skipped along.

"A-Ah, wait!" Sato looked at all the stuffed animals that Chiaki had left behind. Were they just going to leave them here? What if someone took them? Hadn't Chiaki worked hard for them?

"Don't worry about it, miss." The man behind the counter shook his head. "I'll make sure the little lady gets them. She's a real airhead, I tell you."

He wasn't wrong.

Sato sent him a weak thanks before running after the others.

'It's just like I thought.'

Sato found the whole class forming a makeshift circle around a boulder. The boulder was already part of the park from the looks of things. A bunch of other people were also present, probably curious about the coming showdown.

It took some effort, but Sato was finally able to shove her way through the crowd to where Mahiru was. The redhead was smiling as she took several pictures of the two boys who stood on either side of the boulder.

'Mahiru….'

More jealousy gripped Sato as she looked to Naruto who was grinning up at Nekomaru. The team manager was doing the same. The two of them were obviously excited about what they were about to do.

"Let's do this." Naruto placed his hand on the boulder, with Nekomaru following suit.

A look of understanding flashed on Sato's face. "Arm wrestling?"

"H'mph, looks like the two behemoths mean to battle it out tonight." Gundham cackled, his red eye glowing in the night. "How marvelous! We are in for a rare treat!"

"Man, you're giving compliments now?" Kazuichi almost shuddered. "Feels weird."

"He is not wrong, though." Peko had a more calculative look on her. "I believe we are about to see something rare."

"What are you talking about? It's just an arm wrestling contest. What's the big deal?" Kazuichi didn't see the hype at all.

Nagito smiled. "Hmm, you'll understand soon."

Sato started to get interested as well. She didn't see what would be so interesting about this, but the others were expecting something different. Would she be blown away?

Blown away she was as the air picked up around the two boys the moment their little contest began. They gripped each other's hand as they tried to overpower the other.

Nekomaru's electric aura around his eyes started to spark more strongly than normal, a clear sign of the incredible force he was exerting right now.

'W-What is this?' Sato had to shield her eyes from all the wind, her long hair blowing rapidly behind her.

"I'm cheering for you, Uzumaki-kun!" Teruteru shouted as loudly as he could through the wind. "There's a special ramen bowl for you if you do!"

"Ah!" Next to him, Akane growled. "You said you didn't have any food left!"

"T-That's because I need to save some for the others! You can't eat it all!"

"Stingy!"

"How are you still so hungry!?"

Their bickering went ignored by the others who were cheering Naruto and Nekomaru on.

"Heh, you truly do hide a formidable spirit in that body of yours!" Nekomaru proclaimed, his eyes dancing in excitement.

"If that's your way of saying I'm stronger than I look, then thanks!"

But Nekomaru already knew this. The two had been training together long enough for him to figure that out. That's why he was so intent on winning this. It might be unbecoming of a team manager to want to win against their athletes, but it was also the duty of a team manager to push their athletes to their limits!

As the two put more strength into their holds, the boulder underneath them started to crack from all the force.

"Holy shit." Kazuichi gulped. "They're totally crazy!"

"Yay, you can do it, Big Bro!" Hiyoko was more than happy to cheer for Naruto. He was her clear favorite in this. "Beat that nasty gorilla!"

Chiaki's eyes were full of sparkles. "They're like video game characters!"

It was the sure way to fire her up!

"B-Be careful, Naruto-san!" Mikan did her best to shout, but sadly it wasn't strong enough to be heard through the cheering crowd.

At least Kurama was able to hear her, the little fox licking her cheek in support.

The crowd continued to energize the small contest, and it almost seemed like it could go on forever.

However, it ended just as quickly as it'd started. With Naruto letting out one final shout in self-encouragement before slamming Nekomaru's hand on the boulder, permanently cracking it.

Naruto was the winner.

'I-Incredible.' Sato was more than blown away by this. She would have totally put her money on Nekomaru. The guy was simply huge, and his whole body screamed "POWER."

And yet…..

"Huh, so it came down like I thought." Akane didn't seem surprised at all. "But that's obvious. Uzumaki's fists always hurt more when he punches me."

"W-What?" Sato nearly gasped. "He hits you?"

"Yeah? That's how we train."

Sato had no idea what to say to that.

The others were already gathering closer around Naruto and Nekomaru, still excited about the display.

"You two are dumbasses, ya know that?" Despite his words, Fuyuhiko was grinning. "Doing something like that out of nowhere…."

"Seriously." Mahiru gave them a small glare. She had enjoyed their match, but she couldn't let them know that. "We can't have you guys destroying the whole festival!"

Naruto chuckled. "Calm down, Mahiru. We just made a little wager is all."

"Indeed." Nekomaru crossed his arms. "The loser has to buy the winner a drink. There was no way I could back down from such a challenge!"

That was their reason?

Mahiru sighed in defeat. "You two are unbelievable. You know that?"

Sonia clapped. "But it was still amazing! I cannot believe you're so powerful."

"Hehehe, it was nothing." Naruto and Nekomaru bumped fists with one another. "But we are totally cool, aren't we?"

"Pfft, don't let it get to your head." Hiyoko hid her lower face behind the sleeve of her kimono. "You're more like gorillas than anything else."

One happened to be a very cute gorilla to her, but Hiyoko wasn't going to bring that up.

Naruto patted her on the head. "We love you too, Hiyoko."

"D-Don't say that, you idiot!"

They all had to laugh at the dancer's flustered look, save for Sato who was still trying to wrap her head around what she had just seen.

"Hmm, it's almost time for the fireworks." Nekomaru turned his gaze up to the sky. "I believe it would be better if I start getting ready for that."

"I'll help." Kazuichi grinned as he stepped up. "I made sure to add some special surprises."

Ryota feigned a look of worry. "You're not going to blow us all up, are you?"

"Shut it! I know what I'm doing."

Ryota merely chuckled in response. It was always easy to get a rise out of the mechanic.

"I'll be setting up the food at our reserved spot then." Teruteru laughed softly. "I'll make sure it's very intimate."

"The way you say that m-makes me worry," Mikan muttered, blushing ever so slightly.

It was just Teruteru's usual personality, though. Might as well get comfortable with it.

"I suppose that means the rest of us should enjoy our time until then." Peko glanced to Fuyuhiko. "This is perfect. There is actually something I want to try."

"W-What?" Fuyuhiko suddenly felt embarrassed. "What are you talking about?"

"Follow me."

"R-Right."

The others all watched them leave, their reactions ranging from surprise to confusion. Or in Naruto's case, glee.

"Uh, what just happened?"

Ibuki asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"They're having fun, that's all." Naruto shrugged. "So come on. Like Peko-chan said, let's enjoy every moment we have left."

His words managed to get the others back to normal, and they all agreed.

More fun it is.


"Come on, open wide. I can't feed it to you otherwise."

"S-Shut up! Let me mentally prepare myself first, alright?"

It was a very lighthearted but also hilarious sight for anyone around. A blushing Fuyuhiko was currently trying his best not to pass out from embarrassment while a smiling Peko attempted to feed him some tsukune, or grilled meatballs on a stick.

They totally looked like a couple. A cute couple to be precise.

"I-I'm very surprised." Mikan twiddled with her fingers as she watched the pair interact. "I didn't think they were this close."

Next to her, Naruto chuckled. His eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Really? They always looked like a couple to me. Only one too embarrassed to really show it in public."

For some reason, Naruto's words made her suspicious. Like there was something else going on here that she wasn't aware of. But then again, it wasn't like people were likely to include her in their lives, right?

That depressing thought aside, she still cast Fuyuhiko and Peko with a somewhat envious stare. Could she have something similar like that one day? Did she even deserve it?

Her mind still told her no, but her heart was beginning to say something different to her.

What a confusing mess.

Peko and Fuyuhiko weren't the only ones enjoying themselves. Naruto saw Sonia showing off some masks to Gundham. In particular, she was holding a mask of a blonde girl with a crown?

Weird.

Chiaki was busy with another game while Ibuki cheered her on while also holding on to her prizes. Ryota stood near them, holding one of the stuffed animals. Must be a gift from Chiaki.

How nice.

Akane wasn't anywhere to be seen. Hopefully she wasn't up to anything stupid.

Mahiru and Hiyoko were visiting different stalls with Sato in tow, and it looked like a fun little group. Sato could see that Mahiru and Hiyoko were very close, and it made her happy.

'You definitely found a place for you.'

Best of all, Naruto wasn't around. It was a fun time. But Sato's growing enjoyment was suddenly flushed down the metaphorical drain when Nagito approached her out of the blue.

"Sorry to bother you, Sato-san. There was just something I wanted to discuss with you, and it can't wait."

There was? What could this guy possibly have to say to her?

"You're good friends with Koizumi-san, aren't you?"

The way he said that….it was almost like he was disgusted by the mere meaning of that sentence. That's what it felt like to Sato anyway.

"We've been in the photography club together for a while now." Thankfully, Sato was able to mask her insecurities and not stutter. She was facing an Ultimate, after all. "She's the hope of our club."

"Yes, I totally understand that." Nagito glanced over to Mahiru, who was kneeling with Hiyoko as they gushed over the goldfish that could be won by a simple scooping game.

"She's a very talented person. You could almost say that she's like our second leader after Uzumaki-kun. She's got that sort of bright personality, and the will to make others follow her."

That was very high praise, but Sato was happy with it. She knew Mahiru deserved it and more.

"That's why I can't understand it." When Nagito turned back to her, Sato froze where she stood. The boy's eyes were cold again. His gaze made her feel like she was nothing more than an insignificant ant that could be crushed at any moment.

"Why are you with her? Someone without talent like you has no place being close to her."

"W-What?" Sato mustered the strength to say that much, but nothing more.

"But I suppose it's the way of the world." Nagito ignored her in favoring of sighing. He looked down in disappointment. "Those with talent are always sought after. It's expected that someone as worthless as you would cling to her. Do you hope to make yourself feel more important that way? Or is it that you think some of her talent will rub off on you?"

"T-That's not it at all!" Sato didn't know how, but she was speaking back. But really, she just wanted to get away from this person as soon as possible. "Mahiru is important to me! I-I truly love her. She's way above someone like me. I-I was only able to stay close to her by joining the Reserve Department. That's why-"

"If you understand that much, then why do you stay?" Nagito crossed his arms, his face conveying his disgust. "Your friendship will only be a bother to her. She can still continue to shine much brighter, don't you see? But with someone like you around, trying to only bring her down. Simply put, I can't stand by that."

Not that Nagito would force anything on the girl. He was simply trying to dissuade her from continuing with her foolishness. Her mere presence was enough to dim Mahiru's light, however small. It was something Nagito couldn't stand for.

As for Sato, she was unable to respond. She was too shaken up. She never thought she would be confronted like this. However, in the back of her heart, she knew she was agreeing with Nagito. Being here, surrounded by Ultimates. It just wasn't her place. She was trying to enter a domain that was forbidden to her.

Leaving was for the best…..right?

"Komaeda, what's going on?"

Sato was able to snap out of her thoughts just as Mahiru and Hiyoko joined them.

Hiyoko shot Nagito a dirty look. "Are you trying to hit on Sato? Is that it? I always knew you were secretly a pervert."

Nagito's mood shifted, and he seemed more relaxed now. No, he was happy? To Sato, the change in mood was so drastic she almost did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Ahahaha, that's a bit harsh, Saionji-san. Am I that suspicious looking to you?"

"H'mph, of course. I bet you can't control yourself when you're alone, right? I bet even Big Bro is like that too. But I guess it can't be helped. Not with when you have us around."

Mahiru sighed. "Your banter isn't really appropriate, you two."

Especially since they weren't alone.

"N-No, it's fine." Somehow, Sato found it in her to speak again. "Komaeda-san and I were just having a small chat is all. G-Getting to know each other and whatnot."

Sato almost felt like she was going to get a heart attack when Mahiru cast a suspicious glance her way. The redhead clearly didn't believe her, but thankfully it didn't look like she was going to press the issue.

"I suppose that's fine. It'd be nice if you got along with everyone. I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting to know you."

Nagito chuckled. "True. Especially Uzumaki-kun. He's always welcoming of others."

How could he say that after his harsh words to her? Sato couldn't understand it.

"Too welcoming, if you ask me." Hiyoko looked annoyed. "Idiot. He probably doesn't realize all the flags he's raising…"

Flags?

Nagito was troubled. "I don't understand?"

Huffing, Hiyoko looked away. "Don't worry about it."

Oh. Nagito felt like he was being excluded from something here. But what could it be? And what did flags have to do with it?

So confusing. For as smart as Nagito could be, he also had his dense moments.

Funny.

Mahiru had to sigh again, pushing back her embarrassment.

"You don't have to say that either, Saionji. E-Especially not right now."

Her voice crack made Sato more jealous, but she made sure to not show it.

Oh yeah, she definitely wasn't a fan of this Naruto guy.

But funnily enough, her jealousy made her forget Nagito's warning, if only for the moment. Her desire to be close to Mahiru overrode the "common sense" that a normal person like her could never have a relationship of any kind with an Ultimate.

Emotions were powerful like that, be it in a positive or negative sense. And in these circumstances, it was definitely of the negative kind.


The night passed way too quickly for everyone's liking. They wished it could last forever, but it couldn't be. That said, they still had something very nice to look forward to.

The festival was winding down, but the sixteen Ultimates came together for one final event. It was the fireworks, which was meant to officially conclude the festival. They had set it up on a small hill right in the middle of the park, where Teruteru had also done his setup for them, putting out plates and drinks.

It wasn't just their class either. Izayoi, Seiko, and Ruruka joined them, as did the kids from earlier who managed to find Naruto again.

"He's so adorbs!" Kotoko was hugging Kurama with all her might, feeling his soft fur on her skin. "I can't believe you have a pet fox! He's the cutest animal around!"

Gundham felt insulted by her words, but his pride got the better of him so he didn't say anything. He couldn't just come out and say that his Four Dark Devas of Destruction were cuter, even though that's what he secretly thought in his mind.

Ruruka didn't have that self control, though. "No way! My Shira is much cuter!"

Shira. So that's the name she was giving her new puppy. Not bad.

"We have so many animals around." Sonia mentally counted all the pets they had. "It's such a joyous occasion!"

"T'ch, you say that about everything," Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head.

Sonia didn't mind this at all. "It's because I'm having so much fun! That can't be wrong, can it?"

"Don't worry, Sonia. Kuzuryu is just trying to play it cool." Mahiru shot the yakuza a small teasing grin. "We all know he loves these sorts of things the most, right?"

There was laughter from the others, which only grew when Fuyuhiko's face turned beet red.

"S-Shut up! You don't have to say that every time it comes up!"

"I totally do."

"Why you..."

The laughter from the others only made Fuyuhiko more embarrassed, which stopped him from giving out his usual threats.

Annoying, all of them.

Sato's eyes were wide in disbelief at this. Mahiru could joke around with Fuyuhiko like this? Unbelievable. This was really something else for her, given the history Mahiru had with the Kuzuryu family. More specifically, Fuyuhiko's sister.

Teruteru soon joined them with his huge, borderline gigantic pot in tow.

"Good news, everyone! My dish is ready to be consumed! I'm sure your bodies will be writhing in ecstasy soon~"

It was too bad Naruto didn't have anything to throw at the cook.

"Control yourself. We have kids here."

Teruteru paused before noticing said kids. "Oh my. I didn't think we were going to be having more company tonight."

"It's not a problem, is it?" The last thing Nagisa wanted was to be a bother to these people. The main reason they were here was because Kotoko insisted on hanging around.

Teruteru flashed him a grin. "No problem at all. I'm always happy to feed more hungry mouths. The more the merrier, as they say!"

Monaca smiled. "We thank you."

Teruteru was happy to accept her gratitude, especially since she was cute.

Soon after, the Ultimate Cook was filling their plates with his food. For tonight, he went with a rather simple meal. It was curry, but the smell was enough to make everyone's mouth water.

"I've already eaten so much, but I'm hungry again!" Akane exclaimed, her face flushed with pure happiness. Getting to eat such amazing food whenever she wanted…..it was pure heaven. If she could share this experience with her siblings one day, then Akane would be truly happy.

Hiyoko looked at the dish in front of her with both hunger and some amount of disdain.

"I get the feeling I'm going to get fat if I keep eating big bro Hanamura's food."

It was a sentiment shared by some of the other girls.

Teruteru chuckled in response. "Don't say that, cher. My cooking is good for the soul and that tight body of yours."

Hiyoko nearly blanched. "Disgusting pervert."

"Ohohohoho. You flatter me."

There was no shaming this guy, was there?

When the cook reached Naruto, the blond smiled.

"No fancy name for this dish of yours?"

Teruteru understood what he was trying to say, and he smiled back.

"I don't really feel like doing that anymore. What's important is the dish itself, right? Especially at this moment, when it's with you guys. It's more special than any fancy name I could come up with."

Is that so?

"I'll make sure to savor every taste then."

"Mhmm, that's what I want to say to you one day too~"

Okay, what?

Disturbing comments aside, Naruto was more than happy to accept Teruteru's feelings that were present in his food. It would be more delicious than the fanciest of ingredients could provide.

As Teruteru finished giving out everyone's servings, Kazuichi and Nekomaru were finishing the last of their preparations at the top of the small hill.

"You can join the others if you want," Nekomaru told him. "I can handle this."

"Nah, I don't mind. Besides, I kind of want to take in this moment for as long as I can."

"Oh?" Nekomaru was somewhat surprised. "You don't want to be next to Sonia?"

Kazuichi scratched his cheek, somewhat embarrassed. "I've found something more important to treasure tonight." Such as his time with everyone, not just Sonia. "Besides, I can sweep her off her feet anytime I want! I don't mind letting Tanaka enjoy himself tonight."

Nekomaru let out his boisterous laugh. "Ahahahahaha! Truly, your tender spirit has touched me!"

"T'ch, don't say it like that! That's just embarrassing!"

And weird.

Nekomaru didn't mind, though. He was just being honest with his feelings, like always.

But there was one last thing that needed to take place before the fireworks could commence.

Naruto and Gundham got up and took their place in front of everyone by the bottom of the hill, where they could be seen.

"Oh, what's this?" Hiyoko looked amused. "Are you guys going to perform something for us?"

Because that would be totally hilarious and awesome!

Naruto grinned a little. "Nothing like that. We just wanted to thank you all for doing this. Right, Gundham?"

The Ultimate Breeder had to hide his face behind his scarf so that no one could see his growing blush.

"Indeed. I begrudgingly admit I could not have pulled off something like this on my own. You performed your tasks well, and as such I was able to find the proper humans needed to take care of so many powerful familiars. For that, I owe you so much."

"This guy talks weird." Masaru was promptly shushed by both Kotoko and Monaca, much to his embarrassment.

"Well, it's not like we minded," Chiaki said and tilted her head. "It was a lot of fun for us too."

"Ibuki was able to perform with her new friends." Ibuki stuck her tongue out playfully. "There's no reason for you to feel like you owe us, Gundham-chan."

"H'mph, I guess that's true. It was sort of fun," Hiyoko added with her cheeks red.

"Indeed." Peko's smile was soft. "We were able to receive many happy memories from this experience. So we should thank you as well."

"See that?" Naruto threw his arm around Gundham's shoulder while grinning widely. "It wasn't a chore for anyone here. We all had a great time. We were more than happy to be here."

Gundham didn't respond. He simply looked away, but everyone could see that he was very content with their answers.

"Heh, there's no reason to talk about boring stuff like that, right?" Akane smirked. "Let's finish this with a bang!"

"Indeed!" Nekomaru looked at Kazuichi. "You ready?"

The mechanic gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah, let's blow them away!"

The fireworks soon went off. They lit up the night sky for everyone to see, including those in other parts of the park. But it wasn't normal fireworks. These exploded into brighter colors, and some were even able to create the number 77, a clear calling card for them.

To Sonia, this was an experience that couldn't be described with words.

"Incredible."

The others were in agreement. Seeing their faces filled with wonder and amazement, Kazuichi was able to feel happiness in his own heart. It might not be as fancy as some other firework shows since he had been pressed for time, but he didn't care. He was more than content with this.

It was enough to make Nagito tear up. "I can definitely see it."

Ryota turned to him with a small smile. "See what?"

"Hope taking form."

"Right. I'm sure."

Ryota didn't question him this time, probably because he felt the same way as Nagito. At this very moment, it definitely felt like hope was surrounding them all.

No one was happier than Naruto, who stood back and watched all his friends enjoy this moment to the fullest. That included Ruruka as well. He still couldn't explain their relationship very well, or if they were even friends really. But he was still happy to have her here. The whole experience was only more special to him when he noticed that the kids were taking everything in with joy, with Kurama relaxing in Kotoko's arms.

The blond was so caught up in this that he didn't notice Mikan standing next to him, or how she took his hand with hers.

Mikan probably didn't notice her own movements either, just simply going with the flow.

The fireworks continued to explode, officially bringing the festival and this night to a close.

But this was still only the beginning for them. Much more was to come, but they could all rest easy knowing they had each other. They could face anything as long as they were together.

They could dream comfortably as the future drew nearer and nearer.


So we finally reached over 400 favorites. Big moment, especially since that's like four times the amount I thought this story was going to get. Thank you for that.

This took longer to come out than I was expecting, mostly because I caught a cold right before I finished editing. It zapped me of energy to finish it, and then I got caught up in other stuff. But it's here now! And with it, the conclusion of this "arc."

I do apologize if some stuff seems rushed. That damn cold really messed me up.

I'll be spicing things up for the next arc, though. So look forward to that.

Much thanks for reading.

Till next time.