Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.
Chapter 27:
Uzumaki Naruto, the fool?
He'd been here before.
Right?
No, Naruto was certain he had. He had lied in this exact position once before, face up and staring at nothing. The water below him was even the same.
'I'm back here again.'
It was his mindscape, wasn't it? Naruto was sure of it. Except…..there was something missing this time.
Naruto turned his head, and sure enough there was nothing waiting for him there. No cage, no Kurama. Nothing.
'He really is gone.'
Naruto had already been aware of this. Since he first came to this new world. But to see it with his own eyes…..well, it still stung him deeply. Far more than it perhaps should have.
'Kurama. I miss you.'
That was the simple truth of the matter. How funny that was. Naruto had never really hated the tailed beast, but for most of his life he hadn't exactly been friendly toward him either. He had only seen the beast, not the individual. But in the end, Kurama had turned out to be the best partner he could ask for.
He only realized that too late. If only there had been more time….
'No, I can't think like that.'
As always, Naruto pushed the depressing thought away. Just as he did with everything else regarding his old home. He couldn't keep dwelling on that. It would only pain him further, and there was no sense in worrying about it.
"Human emotions are quite complicated, aren't they?"
The voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. He recognized it. How couldn't he?
He quickly sat up and found a very familiar face waiting for him on his other side. How had Naruto not sensed him earlier? Or was he really that out of it?
"It's you…."
Naruto's voice was barely a whisper, but in this quiet land it boomed just as loud as a scream. Plain and simple, he honestly felt confused. He did not know how to react here.
After all, the person hovering before him was none other than the legendary Sage of Sixth Paths himself. He was surrounded by his Truth Seeking Orbs just like last time, with the staff at his side.
The man smiled warmly at the blond. "It's been sometime since our last meeting, hasn't it? New clothes I see. That fox mask is very fitting."
Naruto realized he was still wearing his trench coat and the broken mask. But that's how it always was. What he wore out there came with him in here.
He ignored it in favor of addressing the man before him.
"Super gramps, it's really you!" The excitement was clear in his voice. Standing up, Naruto just barely contained his laughter. "I can't believe it's you! I thought I would never see you again!"
"You assumed too quickly then. The connection between us is quite powerful, after all."
Naruto really didn't understand, but he didn't care. He was just happy to see the old man again. He was also glad the sage wasn't speaking so weirdly like before. No need to go through that whole routine again.
"I don't get it. How are you here? How am I here? I thought I would never come here again!"
"Hmm, yes. You've certainly been busy," the sage hummed. "I must say, the situation you're in is quite astonishing. Never did I imagine something like this….."
Hagoromo was definitely surprised. Hagoromo was rarely surprised these days.
"I don't understand it myself," Naruto admitted. "Everything's been so crazy! I thought for sure I was dreaming at first."
But nope. It was reality. All of it. Hope's Peak Academy. Ultimates. A new dimension. All of it.
"Indeed." Hagoromo stared to smile again. "However, I am pleased to see that you're still yourself, even under these circumstances."
Blushing somewhat, Naruto scratched his head. "W-Well, I haven't been able to do it alone…."
He was sure that if he hadn't forged those new bonds with the others he would have spiraled into darkness after realizing that he couldn't return to his original dimension. But thankfully that didn't come to pass. He had new friends who could help him move forward, which is exactly what he was doing.
"Yes. I'm glad to see you've kept your answer."
Bonds. Love. Hagoromo had seen it all through Naruto this past month. Just how much the boy could influence people for the better. It was remarkable.
"But I'm still confused." Naruto crossed his arms. He was aware that the sage hadn't answered his earlier questions. "How can we be talking again, super gramps?"
Wasn't that connected to chakra? Naruto didn't have that anymore. So how could this be happening right now?
"Well, the circumstances are rather similar to our previous meeting." Hagoromo had to fight back a sigh. "Even in this new world, you've managed to find trouble for yourself."
Like their previous meeting? Wait, did that mean-!?
"What!? I'm dying!?" Naruto cried out, waving his arms in panic. "How can that be!? What happened!?"
He couldn't remember a thing after that assassin decided to blow everything up. Had the explosion managed to end him?
More importantly, what about Kirumi and Kyoko!? Were they alright!?
Hagoromo was certainly more than just a little amused by Naruto's outburst. Did they boy really not realize what he had done in those last moments after the building started to collapse? Hagoromo had seen it, of course. Through the boy, he had managed to see Naruto's final actions before he passed out. That's why he was so amused.
"You are definitely a strange one, Uzumaki Naruto."
His words made Naruto's panic die down just a little.
"What are you talking about, super gramps? Wait, no! We can worry about that later! I can't die right now! I made a promise to Hiyoko to go see her perform! And all the others! And Kyoko and Kirumi-!"
This time, Hagoromo couldn't help but laugh.
"You're more worried about others than yourself, even now?"
Well. He shouldn't have expected anything different. But it was still funny to the man.
And incredible.
"W-Well, I can't just let them down like that." Naruto tried to defend himself, since to him it felt like Hagoromo was trying to tell him he was wrong. "They've just started to open up, ya know? I gotta make sure they can be more happy!"
"Do not fear, my boy. I do not condemn you for your worry. In fact, I believe it's quite admirable. Most people can't put others before themselves like you."
It had always been one of Naruto's defining traits, right? Always putting his friends before himself. It was especially true in Sasuke's case, Hagoromo thought to himself.
But now wasn't the time for that.
"It's like I said before. I can't control what happens out there. Not even I know what's happening anymore."
Now that Naruto was unconscious, Hagoromo didn't have a way to see the outside world. So he was as much in the dark about what was happening out there as the blond was.
Naruto sulked at this. "Man, I guess I can't find out if Kyoko and Kirumi are okay then."
Now until he woke up that is.
Hagoromo smiled. "Do not fear. I believe they are going to be just fine."
Naruto tilted his head. Oh yeah? How did he know that?
"I guess I should be more clear in saying that your current state is not as dire as before," Hagoromo carried on. "If nothing else, this has allowed us to finally communicate with one another. I couldn't have asked for anything more."
Okay?
"I'm still confused about a lot of things," Naruto said as he removed his mask. "Maybe you have some of the answers I'm looking for."
With a bit of luck, maybe some stuff would finally get cleared up for the blond.
"I believe I do have some answers for you," Hagoromo replied. "I also have a message to pass on, but that can wait."
Wait, what message?
"I think what you want to know most right now is the current state of your body." Naruto looked up when he heard this. "To be precise, you want to know what happened to your chakra."
Yes!
"I mean, yeah that's a good start." Naruto tried to stop himself from sounding too excited. But hey, it was completely justified here. So many people were keeping secrets, so to learn that yourown body was also keeping something from you was pretty frustrating.
"The headmaster said something about that before I left." Cupping his chin, Naruto tried to recall his conversation with the man. "For some reason, my body is super healthy. Does that have anything to do with my chakra?"
"In a matter of speaking." Hagoromo tried to choose his word carefully here. He knew how hard it was for the boy to pick up on subjects like this. "I believe you spoke to your mother about it. About your heritage."
Naruto knew that much. Their chakra was quite unique. Naruto wasn't sure if his was as potent as Kushina's, but it was definitely more resilient than the average person's. It's where his stamina came from, and why he had been a perfect pick for Kurama's jinchuriki.
"This world operates under different natural laws." And so, Hagoromo began his explanation. He tapped on the water below them with his staff. There, Naruto began to see images of everyone at Hope's Peak Academy. Everything he had encountered over the past month. It was all there.
"I can't be one hundred percent sure of this, but I believe your body was changed as you jumped through dimensions. This was done in order to keep the balance of this world."
The balance?
"You're not making any sense, super gramps. Why would something like that happen to me? What balance are you talking about?"
"I'm sure you've seen it by now. No one in this world possesses chakra. As a result, their bodies are much weaker than the norm you're used to."
Well. For the most part. There were exceptions to that of course. Which brought Hagoromo to his next point.
"These Ultimates you've met. They're quite special, right?"
Yeah. Naruto's friends had some great abilities. They were diverse, and together Naruto was confident that nothing could defeat them.
"From what I can gather, your body was modified to more closely resemble one of these Ultimates. That explains why you've kept your natural physical abilities."
His speed. His raw power. His natural senses. They were all there. Everything Naruto had developed over the course of his ninja career. The only thing missing was his chakra.
It took Naruto a few minutes, but he was finally able to grasp what Hagoromo was trying to tell him.
"So my chakra was the only unnatural thing about me, according to this new world. So in order to make me fit in, it took that away?"
Was that the gist of it?
"That's what I think," Hagoromo said with a nod. "New laws guide this world. In order to make sure the natural balance wasn't broken, it took measures to ensure that didn't happen."
Of course, Hagoromo couldn't be totally sure of this. This was all brand new stuff for him too. Maybe there was another reason, something he couldn't think of. This was a new form of dimensional travel that not even Hagoromo had done before. All other worlds he had visited were still connected to the dimension he and Naruto were born in. The same laws applied there. However, this was a separate dimension altogether, and while some things were similar there were many distinct differences.
But at the end of the day it didn't seem to matter all that much. Naruto was here safe and sound, and the world wasn't collapsing.
Win for everyone!
Humming, Naruto nodded a couple of times. "Okay! I think I'm starting to get it."
But wait a second.
"If that's true, then why are you here, super gramps?"
Hagoromo chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you never thought about it, but humans and chakra share a very personal connection. You do remember what I told you before, right? About chakra's original purpose?"
Had he said something like that? Naruto was struggling to remember it.
Hagoromo didn't mind. He was more than happy to explain it again. "Chakra was meant to unite people. To better understand one another. To see inside each other's hearts and minds. To build trust. Those were the principles of my Ninshū."
Of course, of course. But still, what did have to do with Naruto's current predicament?
"Going to what I said before, this world tried to mold you under its own laws," Hagoromo continued to explain. "It did its best. The fact that you can't use chakra proves it. However, as I'm sure you know, chakra is powerful. Very much so. So while this world took away your ability to use it, it didn't remove it entirely."
Come again?
Naruto scratched his cheek. "You're losing me, super gramps."
Hagoromo had been afraid of that.
"Think back to what I said. Ninshū is the key to what I'm talking about."
Naruto tried to, but he was having a hard time coming up with the answer on his own.
'I still have chakra, but I can't use it like I used to? What does that….'
He trailed off, but then he started to understand. The connection Hagoromo was talking about.
"You can't mean that-"
"Indeed. Your chakra has been reverted to its original state. To when I first shared it with others."
In other words, Naruto's physical and spiritual energies were no longer connected. This meant that his chakra wasn't able to produce ninjutsu anymore. That's why his techniques were gone, and why his body could no longer be amplified like before.
Chakra still held a very powerful connection to the individual, however. In Naruto's case, more so since he not only had his own chakra, but Asura's as well. Hagoromo could still Asura's chakra emanating from the boy. Like every other reincarnate, the chakra from Asura clung deeply to Naruto, even going as deep as his soul. That connection still hadn't been severed.
As for Naruto, he was left looking down at his hands in slight wonder.
"So my chakra is still with me."
Only modified. Or if he wanted to be more specific, his chakra was now as how it had been in Hagoromo's time.
"If someone else in this world possessed chakra, I'm sure you would have realized it sooner," Hagoromo said. "You would have an instant connection with them."
Although something similar had already happened. Hagoromo had already witnessed it. Even if they didn't realize it, those Ultimates had felt the effect of Naruto's chakra as it spread out around him. That warm feeling of being close to the blond. It was not surprising, as Hagoromo could sense that Naruto's chakra was bright and welcoming. It was a byproduct of the situation, but Hagoromo knew it played a role in Naruto's connection to the others.
It was just another thing for Hagoromo to admire. It wasn't what Hagoromo had envisioned per se, but Naruto was carrying out the ways of Ninshū in his own way. No, perhaps even better? He wasn't relying on a mystical power to connect to people, after all.
Once more, Hagoromo had to be impressed with the boy. But he kept these thoughts to himself. He knew Naruto didn't need to hear them.
"I get it now." Naruto understood why his body was still the same as before then. The Uzumaki vitality or whatever it was called. Since his chakra was still technically with him, that allowed his body to function at a different rate from the norm.
But the chakra within him couldn't do more than that. It was a far cry from what Naruto's chakra was originally capable of back in his original home. Now, it was the same as if he didn't have it.
'I guess not getting sick is a plus.'
No stupid colds for him. So no shots from Mikan either. He was safe! Hehehehe.
Then something else came to mind, causing Naruto to look at the sage.
"But wait, super gramps. Does this mean I can get my chakra to how it was back before I came here?"
Would that even be allowed?
To this, Hagoromo took a moment to consider. "It is a possibility I suppose. To revert the process. To channel your chakra inward instead of outward so that you can connect your spiritual and physical energies together…..how this world would react to that, however, I do not know."
The Sage of Six Paths had no problems divulging this information to Naruto. Why? Because he knew that, whatever decision the boy came to, he would never misuse that power. That's one of the main reasons why Hagoromo had shared his power with the boy in the first place.
This did leave Naruto with a bit of a quandary, though. He was now standing at a crossroad. He could have his chakra again. He could get his abilities back!
'No one would stop me then.'
This recent mission showed him something. This world was full of dangers. He was sure that assassin wasn't the worst thing out there. What others dangers were out there, waiting to reveal themselves? If he had his abilities back, he was sure he would be able to protect everyone from anything, no matter what.
'That would be for the best, right?'
It certainly would…..but Naruto found himself not wanting to do that.
It was something Hagoromo picked up on. "Is something wrong?"
Was there?
"I can't really explain it," Naruto began, looking down. "But…..I don't think I can do something like that. It would be amazing, to have my chakra back like how it was before. I'm sure I could do a lot of great stuff with it."
Hagoromo said nothing, merely allowing Naruto time to collect his thoughts.
"I'm sure you've noticed it too, super gramps. This world. There are enough weapons of destruction to last a lifetime. Bringing chakra into it….I could just be causing a repeat of what happened in the ninja world."
Was he overthinking this? Naruto didn't know. After all, it wasn't like other people here had chakra. It would only be him. But then again, that had been the case for Hagoromo too. And eventually, things just spiraled out of control. Naruto wasn't sure, but could something similar happen if he brought chakra back on the table?
"Hmm, I see." Hagoromo's voice didn't sound angry or disappointed. He simply smiled. "You've been thinking hard about the future I see. I already made my mistake. If you could avoid a repeat of that, then I'd welcome it with open arms."
Naruto shook his head. "I already said it before. I don't think you were wrong in your decision. Chakra can really help people out. But it's different here. There is no Ten Tails. No Rinnegan. I don't think I could make a selfish decision like that just to have my chakra back."
And to whatever problem that arose in the future….well, Naruto was confident he could handle it without chakra. Why? Because he wasn't alone. Everyone back in Hope's Peak, even Kirumi and Kyoko now….Naruto was confident they could handle it together.
Naruto's face showed Hagoromo everything the boy was thinking, and he was more than pleased.
"Even my son would have been proud of you, Uzumaki Naruto."
Really now?
Naruto grinned a bit. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."
Not that it made much of a difference to him. He and Asura weren't the same person. The decisions he made were simply what he thought was best. Nothing more, nothing else.
But even with that out of the way, Naruto still had many things he needed to ask the sage.
"Super gramps, listen…..you can talk to Sasuke too, right?"
Naruto's question caused Hagoromo to raise his hand. "I know what you want to ask, child. As many of the answers you've gotten, you probably don't want to hear it, but…..to be blunt, I can no longer sense Indra's chakra anywhere. Not in this world, or the one before."
It was sort of a roundabout way of saying it, but Naruto already knew what that meant.
Sasuke was dead.
"Then everyone else is-"
"I do not know what state the world was left in after the explosion," Hagoromo confessed. "Your friends who were near you, however…..the ones who were caught in the blast…..they most certainly are gone."
It's what Naruto had been expecting to hear really. That didn't stop it from being painful.
It took all of Naruto's willpower not to collapse right then there.
'Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan…..'
They were gone now too.
The tears were already building around his eyes, but Naruto fought to keep them from shedding.
"There's no need to put on such a mask here," Hagoromo said softly. "You've been carrying much pain this whole time. But for those new bonds, you've been trying to be strong, haven't you?"
Yes.
It was Chiaki who had first helped him overcome the pain. He still remembered their conversation during their camping trip. He made sure to keep it close to his heart at all times.
"Bottling your emotions won't do anyone any good," Hagoromo advised him. "You're planning on speaking to them, aren't you? Just as you've helped them, they in turn can help you. Isn't that the power behind your bonds?"
It was. That's why Naruto was no longer planning on holding anything back from them.
But….he wasn't going to forget either.
"I'm going to carry them with me." Placing a hand over his heart, Naruto smiled even though he was still hurting. "Just like with Neji. I won't forget about any of them."
It was a painful road, but Naruto had no choice but to take it. He wasn't going to discard his previous bonds, no matter how painful it may be. He couldn't make the same mistake as Obito.
Hagoromo did not say anything to this. Naruto's mind was already made up, and he didn't necessarily disagree with the boy's decision either.
Chuckling, he closed his eyes. "Well then. I suppose it's almost time for me to go."
There was a somewhat somber look in Naruto's eyes when he heard this.
"I'll probably never see you again, right?"
"Hmm, who's to say." Reopening his eyes, Hagoromo locked gazes with Naruto. "I'll always be watching. And know that your friends will do the same. No matter where you are. They're always with you."
Naruto accepted the kind words.
"Oh, and about that message I had for you…."
Ah! There was that, wasn't there?
"I would be a terrible father if I didn't relay this to you." Hagoromo's face softened as he said this. "I'm sure it carries the same sentiment for all the others."
What was he talking about?
"Before giving all his chakra to you to make sure you would survive as you crossed over to this new plane, Kurama had but one thing to say before he disappeared."
Naruto's eyes started to widen, and Hagoromo had to smile again.
"He wanted me to tell you this. To never have any regrets. And to survive, no matter what."
It might have been the other Kurama who said that, but to Naruto it didn't change a thing. It was the same as if the original furball was leaving that message for him.
'I'll make sure to honor that request, Kurama.'
It was the least he could do, for his partner.
Right?
The bright light that greeted Naruto as he opened his eyes again was kind of blinding. Only it wasn't a light. Just the mere act of opening his eyes was enough to give him a light migraine.
Annoying.
"Ah, he's awake!"
There was a female voice to his right. It sounded familiar, but before he could try to remember where he heard it he grunted in pain when something landed almost right on top of him.
That something was a body. A pair of slender arms were suddenly around his neck. It was then that Naruto realized that he was being engulfed into a hug.
It took a few more moments for Naruto's senses to fully return. Once they did, the blond realized that it was Kirumi who was currently hugging him.
And w-wait, was she crying too!?
"Kirumi-"
Naruto wasn't able to say anything more as the young girl continued to cry. His eyes softened as he let her do what she wanted.
"So you finally wake up. It's about time."
There was another voice. Looking away from the young maid, Naruto saw Kyoko standing by the side of the bed, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Kyoko."
So the two were alive. That was a relief. And they didn't seem injured either. Their clothes had definitely seen better days, but that was a minor detail given recent events.
Kyoko raised an eyebrow at him. "Calling me by my first name? You're definitely a strange one."
It was just a name. No need to act so formal about it.
As Kirumi continued to hug him, Naruto found himself observing his surroundings. He didn't recognize the room they were in. They were not in the mansion, though. If anything, he would say they were still in the warehouse were it not for the fact that he was sure that whole place had collapsed.
The room did look abandoned, though. Even the bed he was on was dirty, the mattress having many holes and stains. No covers either.
"What happened?"
The question left him before he realized it.
"We thought you died." It was Kirumi who answered him. Finally getting herself under control, she stepped back and smiled. Her hair was sort of a mess, and her uniform was very much torn in many places.
"What do you mean?" It was then that Naruto spotted his trench coat and mask by the foot of the bed.
It took all of Naruto's willpower to not curse.
Noticing this, Kyoko stopped herself from smiling. "I believe this is the first time we're speaking face-to-face, correct?"
She meant that quite literally.
Naruto's shoulders sagged a little, but he winced at the motion. Looking down, he saw his chest all up. He even had bandages around his head. From the looks of things, he had been bleeding a lot.
"My apologies." Kirumi was already bowing. "I did not mean for this to happen, but…..if we wanted to save your life, removing your gear was the best way to do it."
He wasn't blaming Kirumi for this. More so himself. How could he have been knocked out like this?
At least he still had his pants.
"You are a fool." Kyoko's icy words cut right to the blond. The look she was giving him was in the same light. "You moved to protect us from the debris without even worrying about your safety. You nearly got crushed because of it."
He did? Was that why they looked fine apart from the all dust and tears on their clothing?
"I don't really remember much of what happened after the explosion," Naruto said slowly. "But if I did do that, then I'm not complaining. I'm glad you're both safe."
Kyoko didn't seem to agree. "This is the fourth time you've done something like this. Only now it was more reckless than before. Do you have a death wish?"
"Nah, nothing like that. I just have a promise to keep here."
Wait, was that saying too much? Naruto didn't know.
"A promise?" Kyoko looked at him with interest. "What are you referring to?"
"Ya know….solving this case and whatever. We can't do that without you."
Kyoko's eyes shifted away. "You're not a very good liar."
Now that the mask wasn't in the way, Kyoko could see his eyes just fine. It was easy for her to tell that he was definitely lying right now because of it.
Naruto almost pouted. "Why does everyone say that?"
"Mhmm, I believe because it's true," Kirumi said with a smile of her own as she checked his bandages to make sure everything was okay.
Noticing this, Naruto asked, "Wait, did you patch me up, Kirumi?"
"Yes. All that first aid training I did paid off."
Wow. Amazing. She definitely was an awesome maid, wasn't she?
It wasn't just the bandages, though. Naruto saw other supplies in the room. He saw water bottles, all types of cloths, creams, and other things he couldn't name.
"Where did you get all this stuff? I'm pretty sure you weren't carrying them on our way here."
"I made sure to buy some after what happened." Kirumi's face turned grim. "It was a scary situation. You were bleeding out really badly. We managed to carry you into one of the houses nearby. Kirigiri-sama made sure to stay behind and keep your wounds from getting any worse. She was incredible."
Naruto was sure the shock he felt was clear on his face, as Kyoko quickly coughed into her gloved hand.
"It was no big deal. I just made sure to apply pressure to your wounds before Tojo got back. It's nothing special."
"So you say, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it back in time without your assistance," Kirumi fired back.
Naruto just looked on between the two girls, not sure what to say.
Kyoko then sighed. "There's no reason to argue over this. It's already in the past." She did glance his way once more. "But I must say, you made a speedy recovery. It's only been a few hours. With injuries like that, I was sure you were going to be out for the rest of the night."
Wait, night!?
Sure enough, looking out one of the windows Naruto saw that the sun wasn't out anymore.
Such a hectic day this turned out to be.
"The police arrived a couple of hours ago, to put out the fire," Kirumi said. She was changing one of his bandages for a new one. "Thankfully Kirigiri-sama was able to stop them from looking in here. Explaining this would have been quite problematic."
Using her personal authority like that….Naruto was grateful for that. Going to a hospital would have only made things more complicated, and they didn't need the extra hassle.
But man, from the sounds of things, he had missed out on a lot of stuff.
"We still need to talk." Kyoko stepped closer to the bed, her face as composed as ever. "We need to be on the same page moving forward."
Naruto didn't know what she wanted him to say. "You're the one who got the information about who hired that guy. Shouldn't you be the one filling me in?"
Kirumi spoke up, "It's not that simple, Uzumaki-sama."
It wasn't?
"There will be time for that," Kyoko quickly cut in. "What I'm referring to is who you really are and what you're doing here. I know for a fact that you're not just a mere butler."
She wasn't going to let that go, was she?
"Hey, I was doing just fine with that until this happened." Naruto was confident he could have kept his cover until the end if he hadn't gotten injured like this and blacked out.
"My, quite confident." Naruto wasn't sure, but he swore Kyoko was looking down on him right now. Not in a condescending way, but in a more playful one. "For your information, I suspected you from the first time I saw you."
Naruto froze for a moment. First time, she says? Nah, couldn't be.
"I had already looked over the employee list before I arrived last night. But when I stepped inside the mansion, I caught a glimpse of a face that wasn't on there. Said face happened to be working as a butler there. I'm sure you can guess who I'm talking about."
…..say what now?
But Kyoko wasn't finished. "When you showed yourself to me in your getup, you never bothered to change your voice. Your hair is also unique enough to where I knew it was you."
His voice wasn't muffled by the mask!? And his hair was….uh, crap. Naruto had no defense there.
The list didn't stop there, though. Kyoko pointed out other mistakes, like his built. Also the fact that Kirumi had even said his name in front of her, which showed that the two were acquainted with one another. It was enough of a profile in Kyoko's mind to make him the number one suspect.
All of this had Kirumi humming to herself, her face thoughtful.
"It appears as though I wouldn't make for a good spy."
Of course not. She was a maid!
Wait, no. Not the thing to focus on right now.
Naruto bowed his head, feeling defeated. "Fine. You got me. I screwed up." A lot. "I still think I did decent enough for my first time."
It was a passing grade, right!?
Kyoko wasn't going to argue that point. No, she was more interested in the things she didn't know yet.
"Back to my original question. Just who are you? Really? What is your purpose here? It's not just about solving this case, is it?"
Oh yeah, she was dead set on that. No question about it.
But fine. Naruto was getting tired of all the pointless lying anyway. It just made things tedious. And he hated that.
"You're right. I didn't come here to solve this case. Not originally. I only decided to do that after gramps asked me to."
Gramps? Oh, right. Hayama.
"Then why?" Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "And why have you been protecting me this whole time?"
The headmaster was definitely going to be mad, wasn't he? Well, at this point, there was no getting around it.
Naruto simply came out with it.
"Because. Your dad asked me to."
"I can't believe this. That no good bitch! She's supposed to be here right now! Does father even know where she went?"
"You should calm down, sister. Father probably sent her away somewhere. You know how he is with her."
"Oh yeah? Then what about that new butler? He's not here either!"
"I think that's for the better. He has quite the problematic look if you ask me. I have no idea why father always has to bring in people like that."
"Oooooohhhh, someone sounds bitter. Are you angry about him getting close to Kirumi-chan?"
"Shut up, Yozuru."
"Eh, you're no fun, brother~"
Hasashi had stop himself from cursing his sister out, but it was hard to keep himself in check. This was a sensitive topic for him, after all.
"They should be fired is what it is." Uzumi was fuming as she stomped around the dining hall on the second floor. "The guests will be coming back soon. Proper decorum dictates that they should be here where they're needed. Heck, they weren't even on the yacht!"
"There are enough waiters if you ask me." Yozuru toyed with her long hair. "But I suppose I wouldn't mind having the butler next to me. He's got those wild looks I like."
Hasashi snorted in disgust. "Keep that stuff to yourself. We don't want to hear it."
Yozuru was more than a little amused by his reaction, but she decided to follow her brother's advice. Instead, she pointed something else out.
"I haven't seen the detective girl anywhere today. Did she run out of good luck and get bombed or something?"
"If you ask me-"
There was a knock on the door, which was followed by Sae stepping inside.
"Pardon my intrusion. But it does appear that Akira-sama is returning."
They were going from partying on the yacht to partying on the mansion.
How lovely.
"Can't be helped then." Uzumi almost scowled as she smoothed her dress over. The only reason they had left the yacht early was so that they could change their clothes for the night. They had an image to uphold, after all.
Not that their father really seemed to care about that.
"Time for the party to start again!" Yozuru practically bounced out of her seat as she ran to the door. "I don't think I'll be able to stay standing tonight!"
"If you throw up, I'm not your sister anymore," Uzumi said as she followed after her.
Only Hasashi and Sae were left in the room, with the former looking very much annoyed.
"You don't know where Kirumi is, do you?"
Even though Hasashi knew his father was the one who hired her, he was never all that happy when he ordered her to do something without Hasashi knowing about it.
"My apologies, Hasashi-sama. But I have no idea where she might have gone."
This was not the answer he was looking for. It didn't help that apparently Kirumi and that new butler were seen eating breakfast this morning. A minor detail, except that he knew Kirumi never ate with anyone. Not even with her fellow maid.
"I'm going to have a talk with her when she comes back…."
Sae said nothing as Hasashi muttered to himself. She simply bowed when he walked past her. She had but one simple thought to all of this.
'How ridiculous.'
To say Naruto was surprised would be an understatement. He was honestly pretty taken back by what he was seeing. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Kirumi was thinking the same thing.
'So she can make a face like that.'
Over the past day, Naruto had come to understand the type of person Kyoko was. To be blunt, she'd probably make a better ninja than him. Or what the "expected" version of a ninja was like. She was always distant, rarely showed any emotion, and was always on guard.
But now all of that was gone. Her mask was broken, and Naruto saw firsthand the girl underneath. A girl who was definitely in a lot of emotional pain.
"You." Kyoko finally found her voice, only to lose it again. The pained look on her face hadn't faded yet. Normally, any emotion she'd show would disappear in an instant. Not now. She was struggling, her mind a mess. This time, she was the one who didn't know what to say.
It's what she wanted to know, though. Nothing but the truth.
"No." Somehow, Kyoko managed to get her emotions under control. It wasn't perfect, though, as her eyes still conveyed all the hurt and anger she was feeling at the moment. "That can't be true. You're lying to me."
Another surprise. Naruto never expected her to turn to such a childish defense. Her relationship with her father was definitely screwed up.
"I'm not lying to you. He's the one who sent me here. Kirumi can vouch for me."
The maid merely nodded to this, not wanting to get involved in whatever this was.
"Why?" Kyoko nearly spat the word out. "Why would he do something like that? What's in it for him?"
What kind of question was that?
Confused, Naruto replied with the obvious answer.
"Because he was worried about you."
What kind of father wouldn't worry about his daughter?
Kyoko backed away, feeling like she was being trapped. "Don't say that. Don't lie to me. That man would doesn't care about me. He abandoned me. He…..!"
She wanted to say more, but she stopped herself. She tried to regain her composure.
"Your first lie had more merit. But this one is just ridiculous."
This was a fine mess he was in, wasn't it?
Sighing, Naruto said, "I'm not lying to you. What would I have to gain from all that?"
"Then what do you gain from helping him?"
The pay was certainly good, but that wasn't all.
"Your dad bailed me out of jail a while back. Probably not because he wanted to, but I still owe him for it."
Kyoko ignored that for the most part. "So you're saying you're from Hope's Peak Academy?"
"Basically."
"I'd expect nothing else from him. Helping others but not his own daughter." Kyoko's face turned colder than ever before. "What is he trying to accomplish now?"
It was a stupid thing to do in his current condition, and Kirumi nearly felt her heart pop out of her chest. But despite that, Naruto still forced himself to get out of the bed. His body didn't appreciate such movements at the moment, but Naruto ignored it in favor of walking up to Kyoko, who looked ready to run away at a moment's notice. That's how disoriented she was right now.
"Alright, I can't watch this anymore. It's gonna make me want to hit you."
Yep, that's how he was going to start this.
Unsurprisingly, Kyoko didn't understand. "What are you-"
"I have no idea what happened between you and your dad in the past," Naruto cut her off. He had a lot to say here, and she needed to listen. "He might have done something really unforgivable to you. I don't know. Maybe he does deserve the hate you have for him. But I can't let you stand here and say he doesn't care. The fact that I'm here proves otherwise. Everything I've done should show you how much he cares."
Kyoko could do nothing but stare back at him. For a moment, it almost felt like she was lost inside Naruto's eyes, like being submerged in the middle of a never-ending sea.
"He was desperate," Naruto told her. "He even got in touch with your grandfather, someone he apparently doesn't like. He was more than willing to pay any amount if it meant I'd accept his request. So yes, you can hate him. Loathe him. Curse him out. I'm not going to disregard your feelings here. Especially since I don't know about your past. But you can't say he doesn't care about you."
It was a strange feeling for Kyoko, not knowing what to say. She never expected an outcome like this, and her mind was drawing a blank on what to say.
She just couldn't believe it. Her own father did something like this? Despite everything her grandfather told her, he sent someone to look after her?
"I kinda made a mess of things." Naruto's firm look softened a little. "He didn't want you to know about my true purpose, knowing you were gonna react like this. But you can take my word. He does care. He loves you, Kyoko."
As a detective, Kyoko's natural instincts were to never take anything at face value. Just taking Naruto's words as they were was something she knew she wasn't supposed to do. But facing him directly, with the warmth in his eyes as he told her this, Kyoko just couldn't doubt him.
This boy…..just who was he?
"You're meddling again."
Naruto blinked. What now?
"You're right. You definitely made a mess of things." Kyoko took a few steps back and turned her head away. Naruto still didn't miss the rosy tint in her cheeks. Or was he imagining that? "If my father wanted to keep everything under wraps, he definitely should have hired someone better."
Naruto winched before he started to grumble. "Cruel, Kyoko. Cruel."
The girl didn't hold back, did she?
But in his pouting, he missed the smile that befell Kyoko's face. The girl herself didn't know why she was smiling. But she felt…..relief? Maybe. It was unclear to her at this moment. She still held to the resentment she had for her father, but it wasn't as strong as before. There was no denying the positive emotions that were flooding through her right now.
Kirumi didn't miss any of this, though. For some reason, she didn't like it. And so, with the most serious look she could muster she stepped behind the still grumbling Naruto.
"Uzumaki-sama, you're still too injured to be moving around. Back in bed."
"Wait-OUCH! Kirumi, be gentle! Gentle!"
But Kirumi was not gentle, and Naruto had to wonder what he had done to deserve such harsh treatment as she practically tossed him back on the bed.
Kyoko had to suppress her smile as Naruto continued to whine about Kirumi's undeserving roughness.
'Yes, a most strange one indeed.'
"So what's the plan here?"
Now that Kyoko's questions had been answered, Naruto had but one for the girl.
"Now that you know who the culprit is, we can get them, right?"
With her mind a bit more settled, Kyoko was able to answer.
"Not exactly. There are some things I must look into beforehand."
Say what now?
"I don't get it." Naruto, now back on the bed, frowned. "You know who hired that guy, right? In that case-"
"Yes, but this case won't be settled that easily," Kyoko intervened with a shake of her head. "It's just as with the first assassin we faced. There is but another ploy we have to take into account."
Hmm. Was she being vague on purpose? Naruto didn't like that.
"You could just tell me, ya know."
"I plan to. But first." Kyoko gave Naruto a once over. "We must wait for you to heal up a bit more. If I'm correct, we are going to be facing more resistance in the coming hours."
That's what she was worried about?
"The party for tonight should be starting by now," Kirumi informed them. "Showing up late is more than likely going to raise a few eyebrows."
In the worst case scenario, the mastermind would figure out that three of them were working together. Or at the very least start to suspect them.
"That can't be helped at this point." Kyoko dismissed the worry. "Now that their second assassin has failed, I'm sure they'll be shooting for more direct means."
More direct than an assassin?
Naruto looked ready to jump out of the bed again. "If it's me you're worried about, then don't be. My body is pretty resilient. Trust me."
Kirumi had to wonder if he was bold or just a plain idiot. Wait, no. She didn't have to think about it.
He was obviously both.
Kyoko was more open about her thoughts as she said, "I'm doing this for your benefit too. In your condition, you can't afford to be as careless as you were with that assassin."
Careless?
"What does that mean?"
Crossing her arms again, Kyoko replied, "You were in the perfect position to kill him, but you didn't do it. For that, you paid the price. Just look at the state you're in. This could have been easily avoided if you just killed him."
So that's what she was getting at.
"True, I'm not exactly happy with how things ended up," Naruto conceded. "But that doesn't mean I'm a cold-blooded killer either."
Kyoko openly frowned at this. "Do you know what you are saying right now? Killing him would have been-"
"Easy, yes." Naruto looked down at his right arm, which had suffered the most damage. "I heard you the first time. You're definitely right about that. I don't really want the easy path, though. I don't think that killing is something I have to resort to get where I'm going."
Kyoko had a simple response to this.
"You're a fool."
Second time! Second time she was calling him that!
Naruto still accepted it. "Yeah, you're probably right. You're not the first one to say that to me." Jiraiya and Itachi had already said the same thing to him, once upon a time. "But it's what I believe. Resorting to killing someone is almost the same as saying you've failed."
"Stupidity." Kyoko's voice wasn't laced with any malice, though. "In order to maintain the justice and order, there are people in this world that must die. Monsters. One way or another, they cannot be redeemed. What are you going to do then?"
Naruto sort of accepted that too. Which is why he answered, "Smile and force my way through it."
It wasn't that he would never kill. It was just something that he didn't think he had to do. To stop the cycle of hatred, he had to take that other path. It was definitely difficult, but tt was the only way, wasn't it?
Unlike before, Kyoko wasn't so easily swayed by his words. Could he really bring himself to kill when the time called for it?
Kirumi, who had been quiet up to this point, studied Naruto for a moment. She recalled his answer to her earlier, about wanting peace.
"To achieve peace…..are you really prepared to do all that it takes, Uzumaki-sama?"
She really wanted to know.
It wasn't that simple of an answer, though. But in the end, Naruto did come up with one.
"If you sacrifice your ideals for the goal line…..then have you really gotten what you want?"
Kirumi accepted the answer in silence, but her eyes looked different now. It was just like before, and again Naruto did not know what she feeling she was trying to convey.
Kyoko on the other hand turned away from him. "You are definitely a fool."
But a fool she could not help but start to root for. She did not understand why. Wanting something as vague as peace was just a childish dream as far as she was concerned. It was something you grew out of. Once you saw the world for what it was, there was no way you could keep believing in something like peace.
Right?
She still found herself being drawn to that dream, though. It was the first time she was hearing something of this sort, and it had its appeal, as much as she would want to deny it.
Kyoko did have to wonder, though. When Naruto did decide to kill…..how would he look then? Remorseful? Indifferent?
'Trying to read you is difficult.'
He left himself vulnerable at times, but in other instances…..well, Kyoko was seeing that Naruto was able to hide his emotions better than he let on.
The trio would stay in the house for another hour or so. Then, after Naruto convinced them that he could move without too much pain, they returned to the island once more.
The showdown with the true mastermind was finally at hand.
The first time I saw Kyoko's blushing sprite was pretty amazing, not gonna lie. Never expected something like that from her. GG, Kyoko. GG.
Anyway, I wasn't expecting to update so quickly for a second time. But this chapter was the one I was looking forward to the most during this whole fiasco, so I couldn't resist. In the end, it still leaves things where they started (for the most part). But for how long? Although there were some answers given here. This was one of the first things I considered when writing this crossover. Should Naruto have chakra or not. I decided no in the end, as that would defeat a lot of the tension. Naruto also knows what chaos chakra would bring if it got out, and he doesn't want to risk that.
There are more things to consider, things Naruto didn't ask. The most prudent being this: if Naruto does have kids, will they able to possess chakra? And if they can, would they somehow be able to unlock it and revert Ninshū to ninjutsu? If a certain despair loving goddess found out about this, I wonder what she would think….and do.
The other important thing is Naruto's stance on killing. Someone made the mistake of believing that I was saying that Naruto would never kill. He threatened Gaara with it. It's obvious that he would kill. But after the whole Pain invasion mess, Naruto's character took a turn. He saw killing in a different light as he took on Jiraiya's dream (there were many other changes too, like his thoughts about fighting Sasuke and becoming Hokage). It was no longer something he was going to do unless forced to, as he saw it as just spreading the cycle of hatred. The thing is, we never saw under what circumstances he would kill under this new mindset. He wasn't going to kill Pain despite everything he did. Obito died of his own volition. Madara was practically murdered by Black Zetsu, and Kaguya was sealed away, not killed. This is where my gripe from before comes in. Naruto was never forced to confront the act of killing after his biggest character development, which disappointed me greatly.
On a side note, it has been brought to my attention that Naruto did kill that Sand councilor during the Gaara rescue arc, a fact I had totally forgotten about. This doesn't really answer the question I had, though. Which is what I'm trying to expand on here. The issue hasn't been resolved yet. It will basically come down to what limits he's willing to be pushed to.
Just who will Naruto kill?
I've rambled enough.
That's all from me. Next update won't be as quick I'm sure, but I leave you with this.
Till next time.
