Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.
Chapter 20:
Classroom Shenanigans
"You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"
"Yes."
It was a simple question, with a simple answer. Even so, Naruto was already on guard. Why? It was his instincts flaring up. No other way to describe it. And he always made sure to trust his instincts.
The man in front of him either didn't notice or care for this as he sat opposite of him, a small clear table between them. The rest of the room was empty, other than a camera set up by the wall near the door.
The man readjusted his glasses as he scanned through the file before him, flipping through some of the pages. What it was, Naruto didn't know. But maybe it was about him? It would make sense, since this meeting was supposed to be about him.
"Talent is quite extraordinary, don't you agree?"
"I suppose so."
There was nothing else Naruto could say to that.
The man smiled. Only, it didn't put Naruto at ease. It only made him more wary of this person. Almost like there was something sinister hiding behind that smile.
"I've been studying talented individuals for nearly all my life. That's how I was assigned to be one of the lead scientists here at Hope's Peak Academy. Quite an honor, wouldn't you agree? It has been a rigorous process, with many ups and downs. If there is one thing I've learned in all these years, it's that talent is a fickle thing."
Fickle? That was a weird word to use.
"For a scientist, such a term is rarely used. In fact, it's almost hated in our field. We try to understand things, after all. To analyze and understand every aspect of the world around us so that we're never caught off guard. Never surprised. To say we know. But with talent…...it's just not so simple."
Naruto didn't know where the man was going with this.
"Talent doesn't have a set path, Uzumaki-san. It's even more mysterious than genes could ever hope to be. Talent doesn't discriminate. It can come from any place, from any person. The rich, the poor. From all the different races in this world. It doesn't matter who you are. You could almost say it's like the lottery, only one that doesn't require money."
Naruto might not have fully understood that before, but now he was able to follow along.
"I'm sure you have observed this with your class. They are rather diverse, are they not? But they, as well as yourself, are all linked by one thing: talent. You all possess it. Gifted by skills others can only dream of. It's rather beautiful when you think about it, but also scary. To know that someone else possesses something you don't. Something you can never attain no matter how hard you work. It's almost enough to bring you to despair, isn't it?"
Naruto said nothing to this.
The man continued.
"My job here at Hope's Peak Academy has been to try and understand talent. To try and break it down, to harness its potential. Just like we have with the atom. Only it's been far more difficult to accomplish. As I've said, talent is a fickle thing. With this fickle nature comes elusiveness. Its roots still evade us. Is it genes? Some evolutionary path that we just haven't figured out yet? Or is it simply random, unable to be properly articulated by our measures? Or perhaps it's a combination of factors. As a scientist, this is both frustrating and enticing at the same time. Can you understand that?"
"Not really, no. I don't really care about talent all that much."
The man let out a short laugh. "Mhmm, yes. I'm sure you've never had to think about it. Most Ultimates are like that I believe. They never bother to think about where their talent comes from. They're just content to have it."
Naruto openly frowned, showing his annoyance.
Seeing this, the man raised his hand to placate the situation. "My apologies. I didn't mean to disrespect you. I am simply sharing my observations with you."
"Then you need to observe more. I can tell you from experience that talent doesn't equal personal satisfaction. Human beings aren't that simple."
"Hmm, perhaps. But we are not here to get philosophical. The point is, my goal here at Hope's Peak Academy is to unpack talent and all of its mysteries. It's not complete, I'm sad to say. We still can't fully understand talent, merely guess at its nature. But there is one factor that we have been able to pin down, and perhaps even exploit in order to help us in our understanding."
"Is that why I'm here?"
"Yes." The man looked down at the file. "From what you've told the headmaster, you come from a remote village, correct?"
Naruto's hands twitched a little. What did his village have to do with this?
"Yes."
"Tell me something, Uzumaki-san. Are your villagers like you?"
Like him?
"What do you mean?"
"My apologies. I suppose I need to be more blunt. What I mean is, do they share the same…...physical and biological makeup as you?"
That didn't really explain much in Naruto's mind, but he still attempted to answer the question nonetheless.
"We're not part of the same family, if that's what you're getting at. We have different clans, and even people with a more 'normal' background. We don't have the same fancy stuff as you, but we do act like a normal city would."
Only a lot smaller.
"And what about you? Do you have any direct family?"
What an annoying question.
"No. My parents are dead. They have been dead for seventeen years now."
"So I'm guessing no one in your village would share the same traits as you?"
Traits?
"If you're talking about looks, then there are other blonds around. I think."
Tsunade came to mind. Then Ino and her dad. And, uh. Crap, who else was there?
Ah, right. Temari! She wasn't a part of the village, though.
But either way, that's all Naruto could think of.
The man seemed amused. "That isn't what I meant, but I think I have a clearer picture now. You don't belong to any of those clans you mentioned, so you don't share any similarities with them."
Maybe? Naruto still didn't really understand what this guy was getting at. What traits was he speaking of? Was there something weird with him?
"Interesting. Very interesting. So even if we were to go to your village, we wouldn't find someone like you."
What?
Naruto cocked his head.
"You wouldn't?"
"Hmm. I see. That is very useful to know. But I think that's enough for today." The man closed the file and got up from his seat. "Thank you for answering my questions. I hope you don't mind if we continue this at a later date. I look forward to learning more about you, Uzumaki-san."
What?
"Hey, what is this about?" Naruto got up as well. "Why are you so curious about where I come from? Did the old man put you up to this?"
The man was already heading for the door, but stopped. He turned back to the blond, his glasses blocking his eyes from view. Add his lab coat, and he gave a very strong "doctor" type. Naruto didn't like that, but that was mostly due to his childish fear of hospitals and anything related to it. Mikan's "desire" to give him shots didn't help either.
"Tengan-san has nothing to do with this," the man replied smoothly. "If anything, you can say he's against it. But you must understand something. We are on the brink of something great, Uzumaki-san. I believe you can be the key to pushing Hope's Peak Academy's ambition to even greater lengths. To a realm we never could have thought possible. I hope you can come to understand this."
Naruto was left frowning as the man excused himself and exited the room. It went without saying that he had a lot of questions, none of which the man had bothered to answer.
Just what was going on? And why did the school need him?
'I don't get this at all.'
What a confusing mess this was.
Two weeks.
That's how much time had passed since the festival. It was now a month since school had started. It also marked the first month of Naruto's new life in this world.
What could he say? He was used to many things now. He still hated his phone. Damn thing was harder to figure out than any new jutsu Naruto had learned. He pretty much gave up on it, only able to use it for calls and texts. Oh, but he had managed to get one gaming app on it.
That's what it was called, right? A gaming app?
Eh, who cares.
Naruto knew a lot more about this world now too. More of its history, and just how big it was. It was a lot bigger than what he was used to back in his dimension. Japan was but one single island in this vast world. Naruto hoped to see it all one day.
His friendship with the others continued to grow as well. They attended classes together and hung out as usual. Naruto could truly call them all his close friends. Ruruka was sort of in that mix too, although her constant insistence to make him try out her sweets was kind of annoying.
Good thing he was faster than her.
Koichi was still a terrible teacher. He never bothered to teach them anything. He was always hungover. It got to the point where Mahiru openly proclaimed her growing distaste for the man, calling him a useless deadbeat.
No one bothered to correct her.
That said, they still made sure to show up to class, if only to see one another. It was the one place where they could all come together on a regular basis. That, and the ramen shop where Naruto worked. Speaking of which, it was doing a lot better now. More people found out about the Ultimates hanging there and were eager to see them in person, which meant more money for the shop.
Jiro was more than pleased with this, almost to the point of crying and hugging Naruto as a show of thanks for the new business.
Kurama was also growing. According to Gundham, he still had a bit more to go. By the time he reached his adult size, he wouldn't be able to fit into Naruto's bag anymore. A sad thought, but there was still time left before that happened.
Other than that, nothing else had really changed. And nothing overly "exciting" had happened.
Unless he included his phone call with Tengan a week ago, but that wasn't really "exciting" as it was annoying.
Naruto still remembered it. He had gotten home from another day at work when his cell phone had gone off.
"Glad to see you're still alive."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Tengan chuckled from his end. "Oh, no particular reason. I was just expecting you to have done something more daring by now. Instead, you put on a nice little festival with your friends. Are you growing attached to them?"
This old fart. So he heard about the festival, huh. Not surprising at all. Still, Naruto was a bit annoyed.
"I don't like the way you said that."
"Am I mistaken then? I believe it was you who was trying not to bond with them. I'm guessing that's changed now?"
Naruto almost scowled. "How do you know that?"
He hadn't told the old man anything about that!
"Ahahaha, it was all over your face, boy. It's like I told you before. You're not a good liar. Your face gives it all away."
Maybe, but Naruto didn't have to like that.
"I can't say I'm not pleased, though." Tengan continued, "You're the first to do something like this. I'm sure you're making those kids happy."
Naruto didn't have a snarky response to that. At least, not a good one. He could only admit to one thing.
"You're weird, old man."
"Ahahaha, true. I probably am. But aren't you as well?"
Naruto sighed. "Whatever. So what? Is this all part of trying to know more about me?"
"Perhaps. I'm just happy to know you'll be staying. That house of mine needed at least one person to look after it."
"What about you? You're not coming back tonight again?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm out of town, you see. Came to see a certain project for myself."
A certain project?
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll hear about it sooner or later."
What's with all the secrets!? It was frustrating.
'Well, I can't really argue too much against that.'
He was keeping secrets too, after all.
"I'll probably be back next month or so. In the meantime, take good care of yourself, my boy. And make sure not to trust those around you too easily."
What the hell did that even mean?
Before Naruto could question it, Tengan hung up, effectively ending the conversation.
The blond glared at his phone, wishing he could throw it out the window or something. Sadly, he needed it too much for that.
Still, that didn't mean he couldn't grumble about stupid old men.
Stupid old man.
That had been that. Naruto hadn't spoken to Tengan since then, and the old man hadn't returned just as he said. Who knew what he was doing out there. And what sort of project was he seeing?
There were just so many questions. Hopefully he got some answers soon.
Anyway, today was just another regular day for the blond in this new life of his. Other than the weird meeting he was called into, he was going to attend class just like any other day.
Only he had fallen asleep in the nurse's office earlier in the morning. The meeting had been scheduled really early, before class. After he was dismissed, Naruto came to the nurse's office to see if he could nap until classes official started. He wasn't lazy or anything. But some shuteye never hurt anyone.
Thankfully, Mikan allowed him to. She was nice like that.
Naruto would have to treat her to some ramen later as a thank you.
But that's where he currently was. Fast asleep on one of the beds in the nurse's office. They weren't as comfortable as the bed in his house, but it did the trick.
Kurama occupied one of the other beds for himself. He was stingy like that. But that's also why Naruto felt confused when he started to wake up. He was a bit groggy from the nap, but he was still able to sense his surroundings well enough. That's why he was confused. If Kurama was sleeping on one of the other beds, then why did his arm feel so heavy?
'Heavy…..and soft?'
Wait, what?
Rapidly coming to his full senses, Naruto realized that he wasn't alone on the bed. Unlike when he had fallen asleep, there was someone lying right next to him. It didn't take Naruto long to figure out who it was.
'Mikan!?'
Sure enough, it was the Ultimate Nurse. She was so close in fact that he could feel her breath on his neck, which made him shiver a bit. Not just that, but she was the reason for his right arm feeling so heavy. She was holding on to it, damn near clinging to it like she would a stuffed animal. And worse still she had it placed right between her cleavage. Her big cleavage.
Naruto gulped.
'T-They're big…..'
That was an understatement.
If he had to take a guess, Mikan's chest was only second to Akane's in terms of size. That bit of information did nothing to help him calm down, though.
'Why is Mikan in bed with me!?'
He was sure he was alone when he fell asleep. So how the hell did this happen!? Did she suddenly decide to get in bed with him!? But why!? It didn't make any sense!
But he had bigger problems to worry about here.
'Uh, what to do? What to do?'
How was he supposed to escape this situation? Sure it felt nice, but he didn't want the girl freaking out when she inevitably woke up.
"Mhmm, don't move….."
Just as Naruto was about to try and free his trapped arm, Mikan's voice made him freeze up.
'That…..didn't sound like Mikan.'
There was no hint of her usual meek self in that voice. It was….more sultry in nature. But there was no way that could be Mikan. It just wasn't the sweet and innocent girl he had come to know.
Right?
"Hehehe, that feels nice."
Shit, maybe he was wrong.
Worse, she started to bring his body closer to hers, if that was even possible. It was almost to the point where she was right on top of him.
'What the hell do I do!?'
This only made him panic more. He wasn't equipped to deal with this type of situation. Fight a war? Yeah, no problem! He could do that with his eyes closed. Have a beautiful girl sleeping on him?
Full on panic mode.
In this state, Naruto never noticed the other horrible twist until it was too late.
The door to the nurse's office opened, and in came Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi. The two boys stepped in at the same time, both doing a quick scan of the room.
"Oi, Uzumaki. Are you in he-"
The words died in Fuyuhiko's throat when he noticed Naruto's and Mikan's comprising position. It was honestly the most shocked he had ever looked. At least, in Naruto's opinion.
Kazuichi shared the same reaction as his yakuza friend, but only for a moment. He then raged.
"What the hell!?" He pointed at Naruto and the still sleeping Mikan. "What's going on here!? Are you trying to get a head start on that prophecy of yours!?"
Prophecy? What prophecy!?
Oh, wait. That's right. What that sorry excuse of a fortune teller had said. Kazuichi hadn't forgotten about that, but why the hell did he have to bring that up now!? This was literally the worst situation in which to do so.
"S-Shut up! That's not what's happening here-!"
With all the shouting, it wasn't a surprise to see Mikan's eyes start to open. There was no way she could stay asleep with this commotion.
"Hm…..? W-What's going on?"
No one answered her. Naruto was far too embarrassed, Fuyuhiko was still too shocked for words, and Kazuichi was too busy glaring at Naruto to acknowledge her question.
The poor girl was left to take in the situation by herself, and when she did her face turned redder than a chilly pepper. Probably not the best analogy to use, but it was going to have to do!
"W-W-W-W-What-!"
"M-Mikan, calm down! It's not what it looks like!"
Unfortunately, Mikan wasn't able to heed Naruto's words. She tried to get off him, but as she was already right on top of him she only ended up straddling him as she tried to get off the bed.
"Bastard!" This only sent Kazuichi into a bigger rage. "You think I'm going to let this happen!? I made a promise of my own! And I intend to keep it!"
"But that's totally not what's happening right now! I only wanted to take a nap!"
"Yeah, with Tsumiki!"
"That's not it, and you know it!"
"You son of a bitch!" Fuyuhiko was finally able to speak again. His cheeks were still red, though. "You two are only high schoolers! Are you seriously that irresponsible!? Do you want to throw away your futures or what!?"
Wow. That was the last thing Naruto was expecting a yakuza heir to say.
"I-I'm soooooooorrrrrryyyyy!" Mikan cried out, looking teary-eyed.
Mikan's apology only made Naruto look even more guilty. So really, there was no use explaining anything by this point. There was only embarrassment on his end.
Kurama slept soundly through the commotion, however, enjoying his nap to the fullest. Even when Kazuichi tried to strangle Naruto, he still slept. The bed was really comfortable to him.
At least someone was able to rest soundly here today.
P.E. was one of Naruto's favorite classes. It was basically all about moving around and exercising, which was really the best things he was at. Not just that, but he could also use this time to further advance his training while also giving a certain someone some pointers.
"I got you now!"
Speaking of which, here she came.
Naruto smirked as he leaned back to avoid Akane's high kick. Thankfully she wasn't wearing her skirt right now, but her bloomers. So he didn't have to be distracted by her accidental flashing.
Even though he had evaded her kick, this was still only the beginning. Before, Akane would have followed up her kick with a punch since it was the easy thing to do. But now, she had more control. Instead of bringing her leg back down and backing off, she was able to follow it up with a second immediate kick. It was just as powerful as her first, perhaps stronger since she had gravity on her side.
This time, Naruto caught it with his hand rather than dodging it. The air picked up around the two from the contact, but those watching the spar were used to it.
"I still can't believe she thinks can beat Big Bro," Hiyoko snickered from the sidelines. It was very amusing for her to see Akane lose every time she challenged Naruto to a spar.
"You should have more faith in her!" Nekomaru didn't sense the humor behind Hiyoko's voice and took her comment at face value. Poor guy was always doing that. "She's gotten much better, you know."
Hiyoko couldn't see it, but Peko did. The proof was clear when Naruto pushed Akane back to put some distance between them. The way the blond was holding his hand, she knew catching Akane's kick had hurt. But in that position, he had been too slow to try and evade it.
'Nidai was definitely on the mark. Owari is…..'
She was growing into a formidable beast, far stronger than when she had first set foot at this school.
"Not yet!" Akane quickly continued with another set of attacks. She tried to elbow the blond, but Naruto ducked down to avoid the strike. When that failed, she brought her leg back around for another kick. In Naruto's position, he was forced to catch it again. But this time, he made sure to hold on to it tightly before he spun around, bringing Akane with him for the ride.
"But it seems she is still far too reckless," Nagito noted with a small smile. "She can't get her emotions under control."
Peko had to agree with that, a fact that could cost Akane the match.
As Naruto released his hold on her leg, Akane was sent flying across the sky before hitting the ground hard, doing several rolls before she was able to get back on her feet.
"Oh my~" Teruteru whistled. "So rough~ Uzumaki-kun can get rather brutal with her."
"I'm not sure if you're trying to be perverted or what," Kazuichi scowled at the cook. "And that worries me."
Teruteru just chuckled.
Ryota pointed to the obvious. "It's the only way she can listen. I don't think Owari-san would be satisfied otherwise."
Hiyoko had to snicker again. "Totally a brain dead gorilla."
"Always with the snide comments," Kazuichi muttered. She was never this mean to Naruto these days! It was always aimed at them. It was so unfair.
Mahiru was quiet as she snapped several pictures of the spar. It was a difficult task for her since Naruto and Akane moved really fast, so capturing a good picture was always a challenge. Mahiru enjoyed it, though, which is why she was always going at it.
Back in the middle of the "ring," Akane was too busy glaring at Naruto to pay attention to the others.
'Bastard is always so fast!'
Akane could definitely feel that she was stronger, but it also felt like Naruto had gotten better too. It was like she was playing catch up here.
The gymnast couldn't let that slide.
Her appearance turned even more feral than before as she charged at Naruto again.
The Uzumaki felt his eyes widen just a tad. Why? Because Akane's speed had increased just again.
'Was she holding back?'
No, that wasn't it. This was just Akane running on her adrenaline.
Heh, so be it then.
Naruto parried Akane's incoming fist with his own, which only created another powerful gust of wind in the aftermath. Neither were affected by this, though, and Akane came in with her second fist soon after. Naruto quite literally slapped it aside before coming in with his knee. Akane blocked his attack with her own knee, stalemating him again.
But Naruto wasn't done as he grabbed a hold of her wrist with the hand he had parried her first attack with. Akane was caught off guard here, and she wasn't prepared when Naruto threw her over his shoulder and down to the ground.
It wasn't long before Naruto had his knee pressing down on Akane's cheek and keeping her in place.
He grinned down at her.
"Surrender?"
Akane gritted her teeth. For a moment it looked as though she was going to fight back before she relented.
"Fine. You win, you stupid blond."
"So not nice. You could try to be more sweet with your words." He still let her go and helped her up while the others cheered.
"Hyah, he nearly murdered her!" Ibuki shrieked. "How does she keep keep coming back for more!?"
That wasn't very nice, Ibuki. But she wasn't entirely wrong either. It's why Naruto liked Akane so much, though. She was driven, and she could put in the effort when she tried. It reminded him of himself.
"That was amazing, you two!" Sonia was more positive about the whole thing. She was her usual excited self as she clapped for her friends. "That final move, it was Judo correct?"
At least, it looked like a Judo throwing technique.
"I think so, yeah?" Naruto shrugged. "I haven't really bothered to check."
Nekomaru let out a small grunt. "I've been telling you to understand the different martial arts, but you're still so ignorant."
"T-That's a bit harsh, Nekomaru…"
"But it's the truth." Fuyuhiko smirked. "You're only good with violence, aren't you?"
"I-I'll try to learn, okay!" Naruto looked offended by their teasing, which only made his friends all the more amused. It wasn't his fault that hand-to-hand was so divided here. There were many kinds of martial arts, and trying to remember all the names was a pain.
Akane was the only one not smiling. She growled as she poked Naruto on the chest.
"Don't get so high and mighty. Next time I'll win for sure!"
Hiyoko shook her head. "You've been saying that for a while now. I'm not getting my hopes up anymore."
Harsh.
Akane didn't care, though. This was her personal goal, and she didn't care what others thought of it. She would defeat Naruto and Nekomaru at least once before they graduated from Hope's Peak Academy. She had already promised herself that much.
"I still managed to capture a good shot, though!" Mahiru was more excited about that. "I'll make sure to publish it in the school paper."
Oh, yeah. There was that as well. Mahiru had decided to start a school paper. It was basically the newspaper club, which she was the only official member of. Hiyoko and Naruto made sure to help out whenever they could, but the redhead was fine doing all the work by herself. She was very dedicated like that.
"Alright, everyone!" Their teacher blew her whistle to get their attention. "As fun as that was, it's time to wrap things up!"
There was some groaning from Naruto and Akane who wanted to stay out longer.
Chiaki was the most excited one now.
"It's time!"
The others knew what she was talking about right away.
"U-Um, Nanami-san, we still have lunch, you know?" Teruteru spoke more delicate than usual, probably because he didn't want to let the girl down too much.
That didn't slow down Chiaki's excitement. Not one bit.
"It's okay! We can totally play while we eat!"
Fuyuhiko groaned. "She's not going to listen at all, is she?"
Gundham crossed his arms. "H'mph, truly, there is no escaping her clutches."
"There's no need to worry, guys!" Chiaki waved her arms excitedly. "I brought a bunch of new games with me! We'll totally be able to play together!"
That wasn't the issue here, but no one argued against it. They were happy to partake in Chiaki's games with her. That's why it was part of their usual routines in the afternoons. They always played video games together. It was just another way to bond, and since it always made Chiaki happy no one really had a problem with it.
"I guess you'll have to go on without me. I have to put the finishing touches on my perfect creation." Teruteru threw them a wink. "Try not to miss me too much. Especially you, Uzumaki-kun."
Why was he being singled out here?
"Let me come with you, big bro Hanamura!" Hiyoko raised her hand, looking enthusiastic about something. "I want to help too!"
"Hmm? Sure, I don't mind."
Spending some alone time with a cute girl? Teruteru was always up for that!
Now, this might have been weird a few weeks back, but Hiyoko had taken a liking to cooking recently. Or well, to try and learn how to cook. She still wasn't all that good at it, but the others made sure to eat what she made. They couldn't stand to see her cry if they denied her.
The sixteen Ultimates started to head back inside to change, with Mikan giving Kurama back to Naruto as she praised him on his sparring match with Akane. Or she would have if Kazuichi didn't instantly break the two apart.
"Hold it! It's not gonna happen while I'm around! You hear me!? Never gonna happen!"
Unable to resist, Naruto smacked the mechanic in the back of the head.
"Shut up about that! It was only a misunderstanding!"
Kazuichi wheezed in pain, but he was still determined. "D-Don't believe you-!"
Not letting him finish, Naruto pushed him down and proceeded to step on him to emphasize his point.
Idiot.
Mikan just blushed, unable to look Naruto in the eyes now. Being reminded of that incident...the most embarrassing thing about it all was that some part of her had enjoyed it!
"Oh my, what's this?" Ibuki looked at them, the curiosity clear in her eyes. "Did something interesting happen while Ibuki wasn't around?"
No!
"It's nothing." Naruto tried to sound convincing and schooled his features, but it was hard to do when Ibuki stared intently at him. It only got harder when Mikan started to blush more.
"Hmm…..this seems suspicious," Ibuki muttered, looking between Naruto and Mikan before looking down at Kazuichi who Naruto was still stepping on.
"Ibuki declares that something is amiss here!"
She knew what "amiss" meant!?
Wait, no. That wasn't the problem here.
Not knowing what to say, Naruto simply dragged Kazuichi with him back to the locker room, hauling him by the neck. The poor mechanic couldn't fight back by this point. He was more like a sack of potatoes now.
Ibuki watched him go, her eyes still filled with suspicion.
"Very suspicious, Naruto-chan."
Very suspicious indeed.
"What about you, Mikan-chan!?" The poor nurse squeaked when Ibuki turned to her. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"U-Um….." Mikan fiddled with her fingers, looking unsure. "I-I don't know what you're talking about…?."
That could work, right?
"Jeez, you're too innocent." Ibuki sighed and shook her head. "It's a good thing too. We can't change the character dynamics this late into the game! Or maybe it's still considered early? We don't know how long this is going to go for, after all!"
Character dynamics? Now Mikan really didn't know what Ibuki was talking about.
"Oh well, Ibuki will think on this later. But she's sure it's nothing to worry about. Probably."
With that, Ibuki skipped her way back to the locker room with the others, leaving Mikan more confused than before.
Why did Ibuki have to sound so weird sometimes?
"Is this what they call a girl's night out!?"
"I-It's not nighttime, though…..and what part of a girl's night out includes blowing stuff up?"
Sonia didn't mind the correction from Mahiru as they, along with Chiaki and Mikan, were playing a game together. Naruto had no idea what it was, just that you used bombs to clear the objective.
Or something like that.
"You kids are so disrespectful." Koichi was in the back of the classroom, lounging on one of the desks. He was sober for once. Even at this hour he was usually clinging to life from his horrible hangover. This was a nice exception.
"You know we're supposed to be doing normal school stuff, right? But you always play games…."
Fuyuhiko glared back at him. "Would you even teach us anything?"
"Probably not. But it's a principle thing!"
"H'mph, what a worthless teacher you are," Gundham said, his eyes closed.
Koichi would have cried if he cared more. "You ever going to let me play with you guys?"
Naruto shrugged. "Ask Chiaki. It's her games."
She would probably say no. Mostly because Koichi reeked of alcohol and she didn't want her games to stink. That's what she said before anyway.
Knowing this, Koichi's shoulders sagged in disappointment.
"Treating your teacher so horribly. You kids need to respect your elders more. Didn't your parents teach you that?"
"We do respect you." Naruto threw him a smirk. "We're not kicking you out, right?"
Koichi glared at him. "So funny, Uzumaki. It feels like my insides are going to melt from laughing so much."
"Isn't that just from all the alcohol that you drink?"
"Cheeky brat."
"Drunk geezer."
"Hey! I'm not that old yet!" Koichi had to put his foot down on that one!
Fuyuhiko sweatdropped. "That's what you care about?"
Whatever. There was no point worrying about it.
As Mikan started to panic about creating total chaos within the game since she was setting off too many bombs, Peko approached Naruto who was watching the four girls play with the others.
"I presume you are ready for today?"
Ready?
"I'm excited!"
Peko had to chuckle at Naruto's childlike enthusiasm. "I hope you can back that up. Remember what happened last time?"
Naruto looked away, blushing a little. "T-That was different! I still wasn't used to my new kunai. But it's totally different now."
He might have accidentally almost stabbed himself after not holding them properly. It was definitely something he wanted to forget.
"Besides, I'm bringing my entire outfit this time. I'm pretty sure it won't be easy for you."
He wanted to get used to fighting with his gear. He had some practice, but Naruto felt like he could still get better.
"I see. Just remember that your trench coat might be bulletproof, but it's not immune to my sword."
Peko's eyes had a sadistic and dangerous glint to them when she said this. But that was obvious. Naruto was the only person who could give her a challenge. She had long since surpassed all of her other mentors. That's why she enjoyed her spars with the blond so much.
Fuyuhiko could only shake his head at this. They were totally going to try and kill each other later.
Even Ryota seemed to agree. "So dangerous."
"T'ch, just don't ruin the gym. Again." Koichi threw a halfhearted warning their way, not really caring either way. The school was sure to get it fixed. For like the sixth time.
Ultimates were destructive like that.
But it would be nice if they could avoid that this time.
Akane suddenly perked up, her nose twitching.
"This smell…."
It was very familiar to her by now. There's no way she could mistake it.
As if to confirm what her nose was telling her, the door to the classroom was sprung open and in came Teruteru and Hiyoko with his signature pot in tow as well as several other smaller containers.
"We've got the food ready, y'all!"
"I made sure to help too!" Hiyoko was very happy to announce that again.
"Wow." Naruto's nose was practically bombarded with the great smell coming from the pot. "This smells different. Did you cook something new today?"
"Why, of course I did." Teruteru cupped his chin while giving a suave grin. "This is a grand Imperial Feast! It's a lot more complex than my usual dishes. I totally made sure to go all out today!"
"Hell yeah!" Akane was more than happy to cheer for this. She almost tackled the pot too, if not for Nekomaru holding her back.
Mahiru raised an eyebrow. "I'm not really complaining, but what brought this on?"
Usually, Teruteru cooked simple dishes for them. Which wasn't bad. All his dishes were delicious, when he wasn't messing around. But this totally sounded special.
"Isn't it obvious? It's to celebrate our one month anniversary!"
Kazuichi deadpanned. "That makes it sound like you're in a relationship."
It did, but no one really cared to correct it.
"Hanamura-san is correct." Sonia smiled softly. "This week marks a month since we came together, does it not?"
Chiaki hummed. "I hadn't really thought about it." She then smiled as well. "It has been a month."
A month since she had met all her friends. Just thinking about it was enough to fill Chiaki's heart with joy.
"A month, huh." Ryota looked down. "It really doesn't feel like it."
It felt a lot longer if he was being honest.
"H'mph, such is the passage of time," Gundham said. "It escapes your notice when you're having the most fun."
Nagito smiled. "I agree. It has been an amazing month. Your talents have all grown more brightly! I can't help but look forward to seeing how you continue to grow, with Uzumaki-kun leading you to the future."
Before, the others would have looked put off by Nagito's words. But they accepted them now.
"That's Komaeda talk for a future together." Fuyuhiko smirked. "I can get behind that."
Peko nodded. "I agree."
Naruto chuckled. "So sentimental, mister Yakuza."
"Shut up. I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking!"
Still sentimental. But Naruto didn't mind it.
"There's no use talking about it anymore!" Ibuki jumped in the middle of the group before pointing to the pot. "We gotta celebrate! Let's eat till we can't stand anymore!"
Didn't she say something like that before?
"HELL YES!"
Either way, Akane was more than ready to give it her all.
Time to enjoy!
Just as they always did, the sixteen Ultimates came together in a group circle. But it wasn't just them this time. Koichi joined their little huddle, with a plate of his own.
"You're including me? I'm so happy!"
Mahiru huffed. "I can totally take that away from you if you'd like."
"You're always so mean, Mahiru-chan. Learn to lighten up a little."
The redhead could only glare at the so-called teacher for still addressing her like that. But really, at this point there was no changing it. Annoyingly enough.
They said their thank you's before digging in, their faces lighting up in delight with every bite. It was as delicious as ever. And of course, Akane had to get a bigger portion than everyone else. That included Ryota too.
"Ah, that reminds me. It's not just the Imperial Feast that I have for you guys!" Teruteru said while digging through his special case, which he also brought with him today. It contained some of his most valuable creations. "It's a special soup that I made with our upperclassman, the Ultimate Pharmacist!"
The Ultimate Pharmacist?
Naruto tilted his head. "Who's that?"
"Eh? What do you mean, Uzumaki-kun? It was only because of you that I was able to meet her!"
Seriously?
Nagito looked amused. "It's Ando-san's friend, Uzumaki-kun. The one with the mask."
Oh.
"Her." Naruto hummed in thought. "I haven't really talked to her all that much honestly."
Whenever Ruruka came to "hang out," she was always quiet and in the background. She was sort of like how Mikan had been when he first met her.
"S-She seems nice," Mikan muttered, trying to be as friendly as she could.
Naruto only chuckled while patting the nurse on the head. "If you say so."
Mikan beamed at the gesture. It still felt nice to have Naruto pat her on the head, even now. But there was a different emotion in the mix today, one that she only ever felt when she was alone at night thinking back on moments like this.
Lust.
'E-Eh?'
Mikan started to panic, her mind going into overdrive.
Wait a minute-!
Ibuki eyed Teruteru's soup. "It looks kind of sketchy honestly."
She had come to know that Teruteru could make some weird stuff sometimes. Just for his own amusement.
"W-What?" The cook looked horrified. "I haven't done anything to it! I swear! This is a special day, after all!"
"That only makes Ibuki more suspicious!"
That didn't make any sense!
"I think the food is fine as is," Mahiru said while taking another bite from her plate. But as she did, she felt her vision start to get blurry.
What the hell?
"I suppose I wouldn't mind trying out the soup," Koichi said, not seeing any harm. The main meal itself was bloody delicious, so he was sure the soup would be the same way.
"At least someone here understands-"
Teruteru stopped mid-sentence when he noticed something odd with his case. Or rather, the contents within.
One of his other soups was missing. The bottle he kept it in, all of it was gone!
"What the-? One of my soups is gone!"
It wasn't just any normal soup either. If this got out-!
"Ah!"
There was a sudden gasp, and when Teruteru turned back to the group he was met with Akane collapsing to the floor. She wasn't the only one either. One by one all of the Ultimates started to succumb to some weird symptoms, and that included Teruteru.
"W-What?" Naruto found his breathing getting heavy, and his vision started to get hazy. Sweat rolled down from his brow, and he started losing his strength. He was just barely able to keep himself in his sitting position. It was like someone was sucking the energy out of his body.
"S-Shit." Koichi fell to the realm of the unconscious first, his system overblown from whatever was affecting them all.
Chiaki could do nothing but rest back on the wall of the classroom, her face burning as well as the rest of her body.
'W-What is this?'
It was the first time she was experiencing something like this, and the Ultimate Gamer didn't know how to react.
The only one left standing was Hiyoko, who looked at the group with glee.
"Hehehehe, looks like it worked."
"Y-You-!" Teruteru would have glared at her, but he was too busy trying to keep his composure. "W-What did you do!?"
"Are you talking about this?"
Teruteru's eyes widened when he saw the blonde holding an empty bottle. He recognized it right away.
"That's my Sexy Sexy Soup that's full of aphrodisiacs! I-It was meant for Uzumaki-kun! How did you-!?"
What the hell!?
If Naruto had any strength in his body, he would be hitting Teruteru after that confession.
Hiyoko snickered. "I saw it when we were preparing your Imperial Feast. I mixed it in when you weren't looking!"
"O-Out of all the options you could have chosen-!"
Teruteru wasn't able to say anything more as his lower body was bombarded with a wave of sexual desire that quite literally drove him to the floor.
Hiyoko loved every second of it. "Looks like it's hitting you hard, huh, big bro Hanamura?"
None of the others were faring any better.
"M-My love drive!" Ibuki was spinning in circles before she fell to her knees, her cheeks flushed and as sweaty as everyone else. "Ibuki is about to burst!"
The others couldn't even attempt to correct her right now.
"Calm yourself, my right arm." Gundham was gripping his twitching arm and stopping it from doing something while his Four Dark Devas watched him with confusion. Kurama was also with them, and he felt just as confused as his hamster friends.
Nekomaru was already slumped next to Akane, too weak to even move.
"T-This isn't good….my head is spinning." That's all Ryota was able to get out before he too fell unconscious, unable to handle all the raging hormones in his body.
"R-Ryota!" Naruto wanted to check on him, but he couldn't move one muscle. Something like this wouldn't have worked on him before, but he no longer had Kurama's regenerative abilities to help him overcome this. He was just as vulnerable as the others.
Damn it all.
But surely this couldn't get worse, could it?
"N-Naruto-san…..!"
Damn you, karma.
Naruto was barely able to see Mikan before she tackled him to the floor. Yes, he was that weak right now.
"Mikan! What are you doing!?"
She was right on top of him. It was like a repeat of this morning, only Mikan didn't look embarrassed this time. Sure, her cheeks were flushed, but it gave her a more sexy appeal than before. Her heavy breathing only drove this image home.
"I-I can't stop myself."
Stop herself!?
She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and brought their bodies as close as they could be. This wasn't helping Naruto's mental state right now. He was already drugged, now he had Mikan's soft body pressing up against him!?
"J-Just a bit. I-I just need a bit."
A bit of what!?
Sadly for Naruto, Mikan didn't explain further and instead started nibbling on his neck, which only made his situation worse.
Or was it better now?
Now normally, Naruto would have pushed her off. He was far stronger than her, after all. But in these circumstances, he was just too weak. His body wasn't listening to him at all.
"H-Hey, that's not fair."
If Naruto was looking for someone to save him, he got the opposite of that. For Mahiru, out of nowhere, took her place on his other side, her camera in hand. She looked equally as flushed as Mikan, and that only made Naruto the more worried.
"H-Hey, Mahiru, w-what-"
"It's not good to take selfies, but i-it can't be helped right now." Naruto saw the girl holding her camera over their heads and snapping several pictures of them. "T-They'll be blurry, but it's not bad, right?"
It was totally bad! Naruto's mind was already on the verge of collapse with Mikan nibbling on his neck. He didn't need Mahiru to be cuddling up to him too!
Sonia, who was on her hands and knees, looked at the trio and tried to crawl her way over there.
"M-Me too…."
Not her too!
"M-Miss Sonia." Somehow, Kazuichi was able to find the strength to stand. He started to walk toward the princess. "I-I can help-!"
He was already unzipping his blue jumpsuit when Fuyuhiko showed up to try and stop him.
"C-Cut it out, shithead." Fuyuhiko was barely able to keep his balance, but he was able to push Kazuichi back if only for the moment. "You g-gotta hold it in!"
"B-But Miss Sonia…..she needs me!"
"Not like that, she doesn't."
"M-Miss Sonia!"
"Be a man, and h-hold it in!"
"M-Miss Sonia….!"
Peko was unable to come to her master's aid, too weakened by the Sexy Sexy Soup to even stand.
"Y-Young master…..!"
She had to curse her weakness. And curse her body for feeling this way. Most of all, she was embarrassed with herself for thinking that she wanted to cuddle up with her young master like Mikan and Mahiru were doing to Naruto.
In all of this, Nagito sat by himself. He had unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his tie, giving him an air of pure sex appeal. The way he smiled only helped that image, his cheeks reddened from the soup.
"This is." He took all of this in for a second longer before smiling some more. "This is totally what hope is all about."
Only Naruto was able to hear him, and he was too busy trying to stop himself from committing a huge mistake as Mikan continued to nibble on his neck and Mahiru pressed her body closer to him, unbuttoning her own shirt in the process.
Right now, he was seeing things he wasn't supposed to!
All in all, this was total chaos.
And Hiyoko loved every second of it.
Or she would have if she didn't notice the compromising position Naruto was in.
'That idiot! What does he think he's doing!?'
She hadn't planned for this at all. She was about to break up that scene, but, sadly for her, she had other stuff to worry about as a re-energized Teruteru loomed over her.
"You've totally done it now."
Teruteru's features were darkened now, almost as if his powerful lust had taken over completely. Which is precisely what had happened.
"You've ventured somewhere you shouldn't have!"
"E-Eh!?" Hiyoko didn't know what to do as she looked at the cook.
"You've awakened a huge lust within me, one that was meant for Uzumaki-kun alone!"
That didn't sound right, but continue.
"Now you must face me." Teruteru stomped closer to the frightened Hiyoko. "I'm going to tear that kimono apart-!"
He wasn't able to get any closer to the girl as he was sent flying in the air by a powerful punch to his jaw by none other than Naruto himself.
"Y-You can't do that…..!" That's all Naruto was able to say before he collapsed again. He was able to escape Mikan's and Mahiru's grasp just in time to come in for the rescue, but that's all the energy he had left in him.
"T-Thank you for the treat!" Teruteru cried out as he spun in midair before hitting the floor, knocked out for good.
Hiyoko was the one left standing over the Uzumaki, who was completely paralyzed now.
"H-H'mph, you always have to be the hero, don't you?"
Did he have a hero complex or something?
She didn't get an answer, but Hiyoko wasn't expecting one. She hesitated for a moment before lying next to him and wrapping her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. She made sure to hide her face from view so that no one could see it.
She could blame all of this on the Sexy Sexy Soup later on, but Hiyoko was going to enjoy this. She just couldn't be honest with herself.
And so, this ended up being the worst celebration anyone could have asked for.
…...nah, it was totally the best.
Fanservice. Fanservice everywhere. You're welcome.
I decided to have a bit more fun with this chapter. It's sort of a transitional chapter as we move away from the festival stuff and onto what's coming next. There were more details I wanted to add (like Sato and the Warriors of Hope), but that will have to wait till next chapter.
Not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed it. I know just about all of you wanted me to include that scene from the anime, and I wasn't going to say no. Too funny to skip.
Till next time.
