Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.


Chapter 40:
Stepladders

It was like a scene out of a fairy tale. The bright night sky, the rolling hills, the beautiful green grass, the majestic mountains. To top it all off, there was the grand castle which took center stage in this striking image. Truly, this wasn't something that could be called "reality."

But to Sonia, that's exactly what it was. This was her reality. All of it. Not just the scenery. All the people assembled in this grand room were a part of her world. All dressed distinguished. All of noble birth. So many familiar faces.

Her two parents, the ruling king and queen of Novoselic, sat before the assembled nobles in their thrones. They too possessed the same dignified air as the rest of the gathered nobility. No, their aura was even stronger. It probably helped that they were dressed even more distinguished than everyone else in the room. The crown of the king and the crown of the queen, which Sonia would one day inherit, were bright enough to blind anyone who dared to stare at them for too long.

How spectacular.

This mattered very little to Sonia, though. She was far more excited for what was about to happen. It took all her training to keep herself composed as she walked into the room. Her dress was a bright gold, as opposed to her mother's more delicate white. Her crown, while not as regal as her parents', displayed her status as the current princess. Her long light-blonde hair fell down to her back, almost touching the floor. To some, it almost seemed like it was floating.

It made for a pretty angelic image, really.

Everyone was thinking the same, but to Sonia there was someone even more striking than her in the room.

As Sonia stood in between her parents and the crowd, her father stood up, his face full of pride befitting a king.

"We will now commence with the ceremony of the conferment of knighthood. Uzumaki Naruto, please step forward."

There was some clapping from the crowd as they parted to allow the person in question to walk through.

Sonia's eyes lit up when she saw him. He was dressed in white, with his coat having a bright orange tinge to it. No one else would choose that color for this important event, but Sonia still loved it nonetheless. He had a sheathed sword attached to his hip. It was a proud symbol of the kingdom, and he made sure to display it with confidence.

He was smiling, just as she was. And their smiles only grew when they locked eyes with one another.

There was no hesitation in his step. He had no second thoughts about what he was going to do, and it showed.

It just made Sonia all the more happy, but again she did her best to remain compose in front of her parents and her people.

He was soon kneeling before her, his head bowed. It was not a gesture that he would do for anyone else, and she knew this.

It made her all the more happy.

With ease and care, Naruto unsheathed his sword and handed it to her.

Sonia accepted it with the same care and grace in which it was given to her. It was heavy, but Sonia was no stranger to handling weapons. She was the ultimate princess, after all.

She raised it high, displaying the same confidence with which Naruto had walked up to her. The blade almost seemed to glow as it met with the moonlight shining through the large window behind her. There was a full moon out tonight, a beautiful symbol for what tonight represented.

Sonia gently recited her words.

"The sun, which shines brightly down on you. The moon, which looks down on you with her faint glow. The stars, which represent your hopes and dreams and the dreams of the world. This world, which has accepted you and nurtured you. Your spirit, which has kept you on the right path. And truly, your bonds, that have allowed you to move forward without hesitation. You have been forged in the flames of conflict and sleep in the somber shadow of peace. I pray that you will continue to live in a way that leaves you with no regrets. May you live as you please, as your heart dictates. As your love commands you. May you never despair, never fear, never coward. For in the darkest of nights, you shall become the beacon of hope. Do you have the will to do this, and henceforth protect the one who stands before you? To always keep her in your heart?"

"On the sun, the moon, and all the stars, be they my witness, I swear to you." Naruto smiled. "But most of all, I swear on my bonds that have allowed me to be here today. I swear it. I swear I will protect you. I swear to be your knight. Yours and yours alone. On my name, as Uzumaki Naruto, I swear this to be true. I will grant your every wish. Sonia Nevermind, I swear it. I swear to be yours."

There was no stopping the few tears of joy that escaped her at hearing those words. It wasn't part of the ceremony, but she was too happy to care.

"Yes." She smiled too.

He was truly hers and hers alone.


That morning, Sonia awoke feeling in a better mood than normal. At first, she didn't know why, as it took her mind a few moments to gets its act together.

Soon, though, she was able to remember. Remember and ponder.

That dream she had…..it had felt so real she almost had a tough time coming back to reality. What an amazing possibility it had shown her!

But still nowhere near true.

She was getting ahead of herself here, is what she told herself as she got up from her comfortable bed. She freely let out a soft yawn as she walked over to the balcony right outside her room. The same balcony in which she had had her first kiss ever.

What a peculiar experience. Sonia was still trying to come to terms with that, if she was being honest. The less rational part of herself was giddy of course. In Japanese culture, a girl's first kiss was supposed to be special, and she would be lying if she said it hadn't been special to her.

It hadn't been rational. She had kissed Naruto in the heat of the moment, and yet she did not regret it. It meant something for sure.

She and Naruto wanted to figure things out between them before announcing anything, and that worked out just fine with her. She was just as much in the dark about this as he was, after all. It made her feel safe, reassured. There wasn't any pressure.

Or so she had hoped. Unfortunately, nothing was ever that simple for her.

Sonia turned back inside. She almost headed straight for the bathroom but instead stopped in front of her dresser. Placed right on top was an opened letter, a letter that she had received just days prior. Who was it from?

Her father of course. Who else could it have possibly been?

Annoyingly enough, her head of security had gone out and done something troublesome again, and now Sonia was stuck in a predicament. She now had to deal with a mission that she had to complete before summer vacation started, which gave her a little under two months. And on top of that, there was also the school festival to plan.

Things were becoming hectic again.

'Dammit all to hell!'

She cursed inside her head. Rather unladylike, but she did not care right now! Besides, no one else was around, and it was her thoughts. She could curse in her mind if she wanted to!

No, no. That wasn't the problem right now. She had been stuck on this for the past couple of days. She could come out and say it, but she didn't know how Naruto would take it. So what were her other options?

As she headed for her bathroom, Sonia could only contemplate this once more.


When Naruto got a text to come to the physics lab before classes started, he was not expecting to walk in on such a peculiar scene.

"Ah, whiskers! You're finally here! About time. It took us a while to get in here, but we finally did it!"

Ruruka was happily waving him over, with Izayoi idly twirling a kunai in his hand. Seiko was there too, but it looked like she'd rather not be, if her jittering was anything to go by.

Naruto had to stop himself from laughing when he saw what was happening. It almost looked like the start of a crime. A very funny crime. Although the victim probably didn't share in his amusement.

The Ultimate Physicist was serious like that.

Speaking of.

Jun was currently pinned to one of the walls of his precious lab. It looked as if he had been peppered by a barrage of kunai. He was struggling to free himself, namely his coat as that was what was keeping him stuck.

"You, Uzumaki! I knew you were behind this!" Jun continued to struggle with the kunai. Clearly, physical strength was not his strong suit. "You sent these idiots after me, didn't you!?"

"Idiots!?" Ruruka looked positively offended by this. "Hey, why are you calling your precious classmates idiots!? I'll have you know we're here for your sake!"

Yeah, because clearly you would only aim dangerous and sharp weapons at someone you were trying to help!

Izayoi didn't seem to care for Jun's irritated mood while Seiko looked like she wanted to melt away right then and there.

"I-I told you this was a bad idea!" Seiko said, her eyes full of worry. "We shouldn't have barged in here without his permission."

She knew the value of privacy, after all.

Ruruka huffed. "How is that my fault? This guy hasn't left this place all week! And when we tried knocking, he just ignored us! Consider this divine retribution!"

Divine retribution?

At least Naruto now knew why the door to the lab was all busted up. Probably Izayoi's handiwork. One mystery solved!

"I did ask you to drag him out of here and have him help you out with the festival," Naruto began, "but isn't the kunai a bit much?"

It was still funny, though.

"Say what!" Jun wanted to stab the blond with one of the kunai so bad, it was crazy! "That's what this is about? I don't have time for stupid theatrics! I don't even know who's in my class!"

"Um, hello?" Crossing her arms with another huff, Ruruka said, "Did you not hear me before? We're classmates! You, me, Yoi-chan, and Seiko-chan!"

Jun didn't care. "So what? Are you telling me you're letting this idiot order you around? What a joke! He's your underclassman, for your information! Try to think a little and have some pride!"

"Grrrr, your attitude is pissing me off!"

"Look who's talking! I'm not the one that nearly stabbed someone to death!"

"That was Yoi-chan!"

"Because you ordered him to! I saw it! You were smiling too! You psychotic bimbo!"

"What did you say!? I should have Yoi-chan finish the job right now! How do you like that!"

"Just try it! I dare you!"

"Don't tempt me!"

Naruto had to tune them out at this point, shaking his head in dismay. Sure, when he had turned to Ruruka for help, he had hoped she would at least be a bit more subtle. It looked like his prayers hadn't been answered.

She was sort of a loose cannon for sure, but other than her, Izayoi, and Seiko, he didn't know anyone else from Class 76! So it wasn't like he had much to work with here. He appreciated her enthusiasm, but this was turning into a mess.

"U-Um, Naruto-san." Seiko walked up to him, looking teary-eyed. "This doesn't look like it's going to work out."

Izayoi sighed. He had to agree. "The miss got carried away."

Naruto deadpanned. "Didn't mean you had to pin him to the wall."

"Ah." Izayoi shrugged. "Going against the miss would be more troublesome."

So he was only thinking about himself, this guy.

Well, whatever. Naruto would just have to make do with this.

"-and kick you in the face! Is that what you want! I can do that!"

"You don't have the balls!"

"Ah, how dare you! You don't speak to a lady like that! Looks like being stuck in this filthy room has made you forget how to socialize with others!"

"I was like that even before then! So bite me!"

Ruruka's face was so red, Naruto was afraid she was going to erupt like a mini-volcano.

"Alright, alright! Time out!" Naruto quickly got in between the two. He had to make sure Ruruka didn't make good on her promise. The last thing he needed was anyone's face getting kicked.

"I think we got on the wrong foot here."

What an understatement.

"Wrong foot my ass!" Jun wasn't having it. "She's a bitch! Nothing more to it!"

"Let me have him! I'll teach him some manners!"

Naruto sighed as he placed his hands on Ruruka's shoulders to stop her from literally lunging at the still stuck Jun. He was positive she would do that if she could.

Still, he was sort of surprised. He didn't think Jun was the kind of guy to cuss like this. He had been more mild mannered the last time he had seen him.

Or maybe that was because he hadn't nearly been stabbed to death the last time they had spoken.

Ah, semantics!

"Look, Ruruka means well! She totally didn't mean to have you killed just now! Right, Ruruka?"

"I want him dead now!"

Try to play nice, girl! Please!

"Just shut it already." Jun narrowed his eyes as he shifted his attention to Naruto. "I don't care why she's here. I don't care what you're trying to do. Heck, I don't even care about you. Just leave me out of your stupid plans, alright?"

Was that too much to ask?

Seemed like it, as Naruto shook his head. "Can't do that. I have a new goal, you see, and you're part of that too!"

What goal!?

"I didn't ask to be part of any goal." Jun almost spat that word out. He was definitely irritated, and for good reason. "Why the heck are you trying to involve me? We're not friends! You have no reason to associate yourself with me any longer!"

They had "worked" together once, and that was simply to answer one mere question that didn't lead anywhere in the end.

Naruto sighed as Ruruka looked on between the two. She was now calming down as her anger was replaced with curiosity.

Behind the two, Izayoi and Seiko felt a similar sense of curiosity. There seemed to be a history between Naruto and Jun, although not a very positive one.

What could have happened between them?

"I still consider you a friend," Naruto said. "And really, what's the problem? Do you really need a reason to want to be friendly with another person?"

Jun almost scoffed. "Yes."

Who in the hell would just make friends for no reason? That's not how it worked.

Naruto scratched his head. "I don't get that. You might think it's annoying or out of place, but I feel like you need some help. You're always stuck in here, and I get that you're trying to help the world. If I can, I'd like to help you with that too. But that's not everything either. You have to learn to take it easy sometimes. To get some fresh air."

Jun frowned. "That still doesn't explain anything, you idiot. Why the heck would you go out of your way for a stranger?"

All his life, the only people that had ever approached Jun were those that wanted something from him. That was the price of his talent. He had grown accustomed to it. At this point, he didn't care. It wasn't like he didn't want to use others too. It was just the way the world worked. People using other people.

Naruto had been like that too. The blond had sought him out simply because he could make use of him. The only reason Jun had gone along with it was to sate his curiosity. In other words, the two had used one another.

So why the heck was the blond still here!? There was nothing more Jun could provide him with, supposedly. So why!?

It didn't make any sense, right!?

But to Naruto, it was quite simple.

"Do you really need a reason to help someone else? If you see someone that needs some support, you give it. There's nothing more to it, right?"

It was a childish answer. It was the kind of logic one would see in a kindergarten playground. It wasn't the kind of mentality one would carry into the real world. Growing up meant accepting that you could only rely on yourself at the end of the day. Use others, sure, but never rely on them.

That is what Jun believed in, and so far that mentality had served him well. He had gotten far in this life, and now that he was a student of Hope's Peak Academy he was practically set up for life!

What else could he need?

Even so, when he looked at Naruto, he felt himself go quiet. He didn't know what to say to something so...simple. Sure, he still thought it was stupid, but actually hearing someone say something like that, and with such confidence, it silenced him.

All he could do was click his teeth together and look away. "I don't need help."

He was doing just fine!

Naruto chuckled. "Then think of it as a small vacation! Like I said, everyone needs some fresh air once in a while. A break. You'll probably come back with a brand new perspective that will help you in the future."

What nonsense.

How idiotic.

So childish.

Truly, the guy standing in front of him was nothing but an idiot. Was he even a teenager? How was he even still alive right now?

But despite those thoughts, no matter how much Jun would say otherwise, he found himself wanting to accept Naruto's offer.

Jun wondered….did this become inevitable when he accepted that bento from this guy? Like bringing an annoying parasite into your body.

Sighing, Jun lowered his head a little. Just enough so no one would be able to see his eyes.

"Whatever, just let me down already. You want me to help in your stupid festival, right?"

Naruto grinned. "That's what I'm talking about!"

He didn't waste any time in removing the kunai that were keeping him stuck. Meanwhile, Ruruka was cheering.

"You see that, Yoi-chan! Seiko-chan! Our plan worked! That prize is as good as ours!"

Seiko was just happy to see that no fight had broken out while Izayoi simply yawned.

What a morning this had been. He wasn't usually this active.

Jun almost yelped as he fell to the floor after Naruto removed the last of the kunai. He was able to land on his knees, and as he made to stand up he found Naruto's hand before him, with said boy grinning down at him.

Jun looked at the offered hand for a second before accepting it as he got up to his feet again.

He was still annoyed, especially by Naruto's goofy grin.

Jun was stubborn, and he wasn't going to let the blond think he had won this.

"We're not friends. Got that."

It was petty, but goddammit it's all he had. Even if it was a lie.

Naruto still grinned.

"Got it."


How strange.

Hajime did not know how to explain it. The air in the classroom…..it was different now, compared to how the week started. And it wasn't just in his classroom either. He could tell that the other classes were feeling that same excitement.

The excitement for the school festival.

Such a thing, coming out of nowhere. Hajime never could have predicted it. He still had no idea how an event like that was going to happen. The school wasn't supporting the idea, which sounded weird. After all, both the headmaster and the student council had given their blessing.

It was almost as if there was something else going on here.

'A lot of this just doesn't make any sense.'

Questions aside, there was no denying the positive effect the announcement had on the Reserve Course. The reason for that was simple.

It felt like they were being acknowledged. Finally, they weren't going to be treated like the second string. It felt like they were just as much of a part of the school as the Ultimates.

Was that arrogant of them? Hajime couldn't answer that. Or maybe he didn't want to, feeling content just lying to himself to keep up appearances. After all, he was in the same boat as the others. He too felt like he was getting closer to the Main Course, to the Ultimates, thanks to this. How silly was that? Just because they were being included in the same activity as the Main Course students.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Hajime understood just how patronizing such a thought was. He chose to ignore it, though. He had to. Otherwise, this miracle might slip away.

Did it even fix anything, though? His situation was the same. Festival or no festival, he was still going to be removed from Hope's Peak Academy. And then, his dream would truly be dead. But once again, Hajime tried not to think about that. He tried, but failed.

That's why he was having lunch as he did most days, sitting in his desk quietly munching away at his school-bought sandwich as he stared at the Main Course building in the distance. Really, having the Main Course building situated right in front of the windows wasn't fair. It was just a constant and painful reminder of what could have been but never was.

Ugh, again he was thinking about it. Hajime really loathed himself sometimes.

"Hey, you."

Out of nowhere, a voice cut through his painful solitary thoughts.

Looking away from the window, Hajime found himself face-to-face with none other than the new transfer student.

Just his luck!

"What are you doing, eating by yourself like this? You don't have any friends or something?"

Was she teasing him? It's not like she had any friends either!

"Well, not like I do either."

You see!

Hajime deadpanned. "Well, what do you expect? When you greet people like that….."

Despite it having been a week since she had enrolled into Hope's Peak Academy, her introduction was still fresh in Hajime's mind. He was sure it was the same for the rest of the class. Not that he really talked to any of them, but that was beside the point!

The blonde huffed. "I can't help it. I was just speaking my mind. Can't blame someone for being honest."

Sometimes being too honest was a bad thing, but Hajime chose to keep this to himself. He didn't want the girl berating him or anything like that.

"Anyway, I've been watching you. All you ever do is gaze over at the Main Course building. What's up with that?"

W-What? She's been watching him?

Hajime didn't know what to say. "Is that a crime?"

The blonde grinned. "It's just funny is all. Everyone else here seems to be content being in this dump. Getting so excited just because of a school festival. How stupid."

Hajime bit his tongue again.

"But I guess that works in my favor too. This way I don't have to go out of my way to motivate them. That would have just been a hassle."

Oh?

"So you're planning on winning the prize?" Hajime asked her. He really shouldn't have, but his curiosity got the better of him.

The blonde smirked. "Of course! Even these dropouts understand what victory means. A prize prepared by the headmaster and student council? It's gotta be good!"

Hajime had been thinking the same. But really, what was the prize anyway?

Thankfully, the way to win it was simple…..sort of.

During the festival, which would last for a total of three days, each class was to host their own little event. This was left to the discretion of each class. A haunted house, a maid cafe, an exhibit, etc. It could be whatever! What mattered was the reaction and reviews of said event. Supposedly the student council would be going around seeing every class for the duration of the three days and judging each event. That's where some of the points came. The remainder of the points came from how popular each event was with the students. So essentially, they were part judges too.

That's the information the student council had disclosed so far, but it still left a few questions. Like what was the criteria the student council was using to give out their portion of the points? Just what was the maximum number of points a class could get? How would the students be voting, or was it just a matter of showing up to each class and trying out each event?

Those were the ones that Hajime had anyway, but he had a distinct feeling the student council was being purposely vague. Maybe to drum up more excitement?

And of course, this left the prize itself. That was a total mystery too, and there was no indication of the student council announcing what it was until after the school festival had concluded.

"You never know, maybe if a class from the Reserve Course wins, they'll be able to join the Main Course as a reward for their efforts!" The blonde gushed at the idea. "Wouldn't that be perfect?"

If that were true, Hajime would be able to die happy. He doubted that was the case, though. But more to the point.

"You're already acting like we've won this."

The class was fully intent on participating, but Hajime doubted they even had a chance. They were going to be competing against Ultimates too! No way could they stand up to those elites.

"Stop being stupid." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Don't lump me in the same boat as these dropouts. For you see, you have the Ultimate Little Sister standing before you. That'll give us enough of an edge to win this!"

The Ultimate Little Sister?

"What?" Hajime was dumbfounded.

The blonde started to smirk again. "Come on, you must have heard of us, right? The organized crime syndicate that has over 30,000 members. The Kuzuryu clan."

The Kuzuryu clan!?

Hajime almost fell out of his seat when he heard this. "You can't be serious!"

"Ehehe, of course I am! The Kuzuryu clan is my family. And my brother, the heir apparent, he's currently the Ultimate Yakuza. And so, as his little sister, it only makes sense that I'm the Ultimate Little Sister, right? That's why I told you that I was different from the rest of you."

This girl…..she had quite the ego, didn't she? Regardless, Hajime was starting to regret not having paid more attention to her introduction. If he wasn't careful, this girl could have him killed!

That didn't stop him from voicing his opinion to her, though.

"But if you're part of the Reserve Course, doesn't that mean the school doesn't acknowledge your talent?"

She narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't mean it can't happen still! I'm sure to have a talent. Just because you're content to sit here and watch from afar doesn't mean that I am too."

Now that got under Hajime's skin.

"T-That's not it! I'm also…."

He stopped himself. What could even say to her anyway? Had he become complacent with just watching from afar? Was that why he was hesitating?

The blonde scoffed as she glanced around the room. "H'mph, hopefully I wasn't wrong about you. We don't need anymore dropouts around here. Just looking at the others pisses me off. Acting so cheerfully just because they got into the school. It's like they don't understand just how useless they are. But I'm different. I'll do whatever I can to get into the Main Course. Then I'll show that bastard….."

Once again, her words cut right through Hajime. It was like she was reprimanding him and his hesitation. If she were the in his shoes, would she take the opportunity, no questions asked?

Is that how weak his resolve was?

"Well, just think about it." The blonde started to walk away. "I'm going to need everyone of you to get that prize. So don't hold me back, got it?"

Hajime had no answer for her. He didn't even watch her leave. All he could do was look down at his lunch, which no longer seemed appetizing anymore.

What was he going to do now?


Chisa had learned a lot over the past week. More so than she had probably been expecting to honestly. And she wasn't talking about her mission either. That hadn't yet produced any results, but she had been prepared for the slow burn. This was a delicate situation, after all. If she rushed in too quickly, it could all blow up in her face.

And she wasn't going to let that happen, especially with everything that was on the line.

No, what she was referring to was her class. Her first week as the new homeroom teacher for class 77-B had come and gone, and what a week it had been.

These kids….there was something calming about them.

Not that they weren't loud. Oh gods no, they were loud and obnoxious. She already had to stop several fights from breaking out, mainly because of Akane. That girl was always trying to challenge Nekomaru and Naruto to a fight. Unfortunately for the gymnast, Naruto seemed to be under "house arrest," so to speak. Apparently one of the blond's arms had been injured, and Mikan wanted to make sure it was completely healed before he started training again.

Chisa had been curious about the injury, but her students had only told her that it was from a mission. That just raised more questions than answers. Like, what sort of missions was her student doing? And for whom? They were dangerous enough to give him serious injuries, so they had to be important.

This was where Chisa began to feel uncertain again. To be honest, Naruto was the one student she had the least information on. That is to say, she had none. Munakata was unable to dig anything up regarding where he came from or how he was scouted into the school in the first place. That made Chisa suspicious for a number of reasons. It could only mean the higher-ups at the school were covering it up.

But why? As far as she could tell, Naruto was an ordinary student. Sure, he was a bright young man, but he was also a slacker. Whenever he wasn't talking to one of the others, he was always napping in class, but that was typical teenager behavior. What was more noteworthy was how the others seemed to follow him. Chisa was already confident in her understanding of the hierarchy of her class, for a lack of a better word.

And Naruto definitely sat at the top.

Now, most of these questions could be answered if she went and talked to Naruto himself, but Chisa was still apprehensive about that. She didn't know how the boy would react if she started asking such questions so quickly. She didn't think her reasons for wanting to know were bad, but it was also true that they weren't totally sincere either. The last thing she wanted was to break the trust that was slowing forming between her and her precious students.

Honestly, this was turning into a bigger headache than she had anticipated.

But not to fret! Today, on this beautiful Friday, there was the perfect solution to help her relax!

"Come on, come on! Where's the food already!" Akane shouted, looking impatient.

Kazuichi looked annoyed by her constant shouting. "Jeez, calm down will you. It's not like the food is gonna run off."

Ibuki beamed. "Like a food monster! Ibuki wants to see that!"

"Don't even joke about that!"

Chiaki hummed. "Well, Saionji-san is the one making it. So maybe it could happen?"

Nekomaru cracked his knuckles. "She knows better than to pull that same prank again."

Fuyuhiko clicked his teeth together. "T'ch, just keep your panties in your pants. It's not like we can start until everyone gets here anyway."

"That is true," Peko agreed. "We are missing quite a few people."

Chisa looked around. She and most of her class were outside by one of the gardens of the school. Apparently it was a tradition in her class to have a picnic twice a week, if the weather was nice. Why only twice? Because they didn't want to "break" Teruteru…..as Chiaki had put it.

Speaking of the cook, he was one of the students missing, along with Hiyoko. They were the ones preparing the food, though, so that was expected.

Naruto, Sonia, and Mikan were missing too. As were Mahiru and Nagito. Chisa knew where most of them were and why they hadn't arrived yet, but she didn't know where Nagito had run off to. The Ultimate Lucky Student had just vanished.

A part of her felt like she should go look after him, but it was Byakuya who had reassured her.

"There's no need to worry," he had said. "That guy will turn up. He wouldn't miss our picnics."

He had spoken with such confidence that Chisa had no choice but to believe him! As expected of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.

Kazuichi looked back toward the school building, frowning. "But you know, there's no way I can leave that bastard alone with Miss Sonia and Tsumiki. So maybe I should-"

"Oh lalalala~" Ibuki swooned. "Are you saying that Naruto-chan is getting hot and dirty with those two? How bold!"

"T-That's exactly what I wasn't trying to think about! Now I really have to go!"

"Now, now." As Kazuichi tried to make a run for it, Chisa quickly cut him off and pushed him back to the ground where he was sitting. "Just sit there and a be a good boy. Uzumaki-kun is just having his arm checked over."

Kazuichi wasn't convinced. "But you don't know that guy! He's a total filthy beast! You can't trust him!"

Gundham cackled at this. "You far overestimate that mortal, Soda. The one you should be worried about is sitting right beside you!"

"Oh, buzz off! Miss Sonia would never fall for your stupid delusions!"

"H'mph, it appears as though I must teach you yet another lesson! Do you never tire of this? Does pain bring you pleasure?"

"W-What did you say!?"

They were a pain, but Chisa was glad they had each other for entertainment.

"Ah man, Sonia-chan is so popular." Ibuki crossed her arms and grinned. "I suppose it's about time Ibuki got serious too!"

Chiaki looked curious. "What do you mean?"

"I'll just have to win Naruto-chan over first! I can't let my favorite band member go just like that!"

"Hmmm." Chiaki tilted her head. "How are you going to do that?"

"With a date of course!"

"A date?"

"You know what those are, right Chiaki-chan!? Where two people have fun all night along!"

That probably sounded dirtier than Ibuki intended, but whatever.

"All night?" Chiaki hummed softly. "Playing video games all night long does sound like fun."

Would Naruto be interested in doing that with her?

If Kazuichi wasn't so busy trying to get his hands on one of Gundham's hamsters, he might have cried at the conversation that was currently taking place.

Fuyuhiko on the other had to shake his head. "Fucking stupid."

Ibuki wasn't put off by the yakuza's dismissal. "Just watch me, Fuyuhiko-chan! Ibuki will challenge the world head on! Even if Peko-chan is more gifted, Ibuki shall still prevail!"

More gifted?

It took Peko a moment or two to understand, and when she did she quickly covered her chest with her arms. And was she blushing a little too?

"Please don't make such comments."

"Ehehe, you're so cute, Peko-chan!"

Sure, let's go with that.

"AAARRRGGGHHHH, I JUST WANT FOOD DAMMIT!"

Oh boy, Akane was getting close to breaking down. Thankfully, Nekomaru was holding her by the head so she couldn't go anywhere. Truly, he was the best man for the job.

Chisa couldn't help but just sit down and relax, even amidst all the chaos. She placed a hand over her cheek and smile. Her thoughts from before hadn't changed.

What a lovely class she was in charge of!


Kurama gently licked himself over as he watched Mikan remove the last of the bandages from Naruto's arm. He'd much rather be outside right now, but he couldn't abandon his partner, now could he?

Besides, interesting things always seemed to happen in this room, so he was curious to see if that trend continued.

Unaware of the fox's thoughts, Naruto looked on with eagerness as his arm was finally free of the bandages.

"So that's it, right? I can go back to training and everything?"

Man, he was so looking forward to that! He hadn't kicked Akane's butt in soooooo long, he was missing it! Sparring with Peko was also fun, as that was one of the few times he was able to freely mess with her. And of course, having a nice workout with Nekomaru was always a plus. But no, he definitely didn't enjoy getting it from the Ultimate Team Manager! Absolutely not!

Mikan looked over Naruto's arm one last time. As she and Seiko had suspected, the arm was left with no scarring or anything. It looked as if it never had been badly burnt in the first place!

"Oh wow!" Next to her, Sonia marveled at the same thing. "I cannot believe that you were able to heal so quickly and perfectly, Naruto! It is truly a wonder!"

Naruto chuckled. "You think so? Back home, I could heal much faster than that. I had the best partner, after all!"

Saying that still stung a bit, but it also felt liberating. Now that the others knew of his origins, he didn't have to hide anything.

Honesty really was the best policy.

"Kurama-san," Mikan whispered. She glanced back to the little fox that was resting on one of the beds. It felt like she now better understood a lot of things regarding that incident, during their camping trip. If only she had been the one to help him through that, not Chiaki.

No, no. She was just feeling jealous. Mikan knew feeling bitter toward Chiaki wouldn't solve anything. She had just been helping out a friend. Nothing wrong with that.

"Well, I'm just glad all that's over with now." Naruto clenched his hand a couple of times. "I just couldn't get used to those bandages."

Mikan blushed a little. It was almost like he was calling her out. "I-It's an acquired feeling."

She was sure Gundham would agree.

But anyway!

"You should still be careful," Mikan said, poking her fingers together. "There might still be some after effects we're not aware of."

"Pfft, no way." Naruto dismissed that possibility right away. "I have the best nurse in the world, don't I? There's no way something like that could happen!"

Mikan giggled at his response. "Yes, o-of course."

She always stuttered when she felt embarrassed, and hearing such a compliment definitely made her embarrassed. It also made her heart flutter, but there was no need to focus on that!

"Yes, indeed!" Mikan almost squeaked when she heard Sonia's voice. She had forgotten the princess was in the room too!

"Tsumiki-san is indeed incredible!" Sonia flexed her arm in excitement. "I'm sure even my kingdom's doctors could learn a few things from her!"

That sort of compliment really embarrassed her!

"She's amazing, yeah." Naruto crossed his arms and hummed. "She doesn't have chakra, but I'm sure Sakura-chan would be impressed with her. So would grandma Tsunade…"

Both Sonia and Mikan perked up when they heard those names. Naruto had given them a summary of his life, but they were certain that there were many details left out too. For time's sake. Even so, they had heard those two names a lot when he was telling his story. And with such fondness too. They weren't exactly worried about this "Tsunade," why with that nickname of hers. But this Sakura….

It's not like they were trying to see if he had feelings for this Sakura, not at all! They were just curious. There was nothing wrong with that!

As curious as they were, though, they knew they just couldn't come out and ask Naruto about it. They already knew how much he missed his home. Asking him to talk about the people he had left behind would only be torture for him.

"Ah crap, it's already been fifteen minutes! The others are probably waiting for us!" Panicking, Naruto bolted out of his seat before picking Kurama up and dashing out the room.

"Come on, you guys! We gotta hurry! We can't miss Teruteru's food!"

He was no Akane, but it was still damn delicious!

Sonia and Mikan watched him go in silent fondness before tuning to look at one another. There was a moment of silence that drove Mikan insane, but thankfully Sonia broke it.

"I apologize for interrupting, Tsumiki-san. I am sure this is not what you wanted."

"E-Eh!?" Mikan's eyes widened. "W-What do you mean?"

Sonia's face wore a smile. "I respect your efforts. You took my advice and have been trying to get as physically close as you can with Naruto. I am glad you have found your confidence."

Oh no, she knew! Mikan felt like dying right then and there. But it was true. She had been doing exactly as Yūto had told her. She had given in to her temptations. She was so ashamed of herself!

Sonia grabbed her hand before Mikan could react. Was the blonde going to hit her? It was the natural response, wasn't it? Because she was being so arrogant! Trying to win Naruto's affection when it was impossible for someone like her.

"I am going to be asking Naruto out on a date this weekend. I suggest you think of doing the same, Tsumiki-san!"

Sonia was definitely going to let her have it-!

…...wait, what?

"I cannot tell you about my plans, but I am sure you are going to have a fun time too! Ah, but I have no intention of losing!"

Mikan was too stunned to say anything.

…..Sonia was really nice, wasn't she?

It made Mikan want to cry again.


It was kind of a peculiar scene for many Reserve Course students. It wasn't everyday that they saw an Ultimate hanging about in front of their building. Although given what this week had brought, maybe they should start getting used to it?

For Mahiru, though, the curious stares being thrown her way didn't bother her. No, what was bothering her was Sato's answer to her invitation. It was the same answer she always gave when asked to join Mahiru and the others when they were having their usual picnics.

"You really won't come?"

Sato felt bad. She really did. But only because Mahiru looked so disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Mahiru. I just have a lot of homework to catch up on. Yeah, that's it. A-And there's also Natsumi to worry about, you know? I have to keep my eye on her now that she's a part of the Reserve Course."

Natsumi. That was a name Mahiru didn't think she would be hearing again. Not after joining Hope's Peak Academy. She was sure their paths would never cross again! But then she met her brother and actually befriended him. That was weird enough. And now, she had joined too.

This world was just full of surprises.

Trying to remain upbeat, Mahiru said, "I don't think there's anything you have to worry about. Kuzuryu and I are friends now! I'm sure Natsumi knows that."

Would that even matter?

Sato didn't think so. "You know her. She's always planning some stupid tricks. That's why….."

Mahiru cut her off. "Just don't do anything crazy, okay? Everything is fine as it is. The last thing I want is you looking for trouble."

Sato was mortified at that idea. Her, causing trouble for Mahiru? She would never!

Natsumi aside, there was no changing Sato's mind it seemed.

Sighing, Mahiru knew she had to give up. Again.

"Just think about my offer, okay? It's alright if you change your mind. We have a new teacher, so I'm sure we're going to be there for a while. And Hanamura always gets carried away and cooks a lot, so there will be plenty of food. A-And everyone will just be talking, s-so…..you know."

Mahiru was trying to give her all the reasons why she should come, but that everyone was still holding Sato back.

As long as Naruto, Fuyuhiko, and Nagito were there, Sato could never feel relaxed. She wasn't about to let Mahiru know that, however. Sato had been keeping it a secret for this long, and she was going to make sure it stayed that way.

So for now, Sato was just left nodding and offering her best friend a smile in gratitude. It was a fake smile of course, and for the first time it looked as if Mahiru was able to see through it. Maybe not fully, but just enough to catch on that something was going on.

Mahiru didn't know what to say, though, especially if Sato didn't want to tell her. In time, maybe? Applying pressure never helped, right?

The two girls were left saying awkward goodbyes to one another, neither having the courage to speak up about what they were feeling.

Sato was sure this was the right thing, though. It had to be. She refused to be a burden to Mahiru.

Trying to justify her silence, Sato was about to head back into the Reserve Course building to eat her lunch by herself until a soft but chilling voice spoke out to her.

"Ah, how terrible. Even after everything I've said, you still don't understand a thing."

Sato felt her skin scrawl in disgust. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but she still did anyway.

She wasn't surprised to see Nagito standing there. It was almost like he had taken Mahiru's place.

The Ultimate Lucky Student did not have his usual smile. It was the opposite. He looked very annoyed. The fact that there were some Reserve Course students walking about did not affect him.

They did not matter.

"Your words were just meaningless, after all. But what did I expect from a Reserve Course student? Showing such a pathetic sight to Koizumi-san…..she's quite troubled now, you know."

Sato's legs started shaking. "W-What are you doing here?"

Had he followed Mahiru here?

A smile began to form on Nagito's face, but it wasn't a friendly one.

"I tried to stay out of this. I really did. But I just knew something had to be done. Especially now that even Uzumaki-kun has placed his trust in you. I just can't stand back and do nothing."

W-What?

"Uzumaki-kun is nice, so he'll never come out and say it. But someone like you doesn't have much to offer in the long run. The only reason he asked for your help is because he had to. To try and include the worthless, he needs a worthless person such as yourself. I'm sure it was to try and help Koizumi-san too. And that's why I'm so….displeased right now."

When Nagito took a step forward, Sato tried to take one back. But she could not. She was rooted in place.

Nagito of course did not care for this as he continued to approach her.

"Someone as worthless and insignificant as you is causing problems for the both of them, and that is completely unacceptable. Do you not understand how happy you should be feeling? You have been granted the role befitting of a stepladder. To serve and push them to greater heights. So why do you hesitate?"

S-Stepladder?

Nagito was right in front of her now, and his eyes bore right through her.

"Despite your words, you're just like the rest, aren't you? Trying to leech off them. Isn't that why you're friends with Koizumi-san in the first place? Are you trying to become hope yourself?"

"N-NO!" Here, Sato found her courage. Despite wanting someone to step in and save her, this was where she would always speak up for herself. And that was to defend her most important friendship. "Y-You're wrong! Don't talk about things you don't understand!"

Crossing his arms, Nagito let out a very exaggerated sigh.

"I want to believe you. I really do. But after such an unfortunate sight, I just can't. You must know what you're attempting is foolish. Only those chosen by hope can become hope. And only those blessed with talent and a strong will can ever hope to be chosen. No matter how much you may wish it, you will never be like them. It's something that was decided the day you were born."

Sato wasn't sure how she was still standing right now. Nagito's words cut right through her insecurities. It's why she didn't want to meet him again! How could she have been ambushed like this!?

"That said, Uzumaki-kun still expects things from you." Nagito sighed again. "He really is nice, but that cannot be helped. I just can't allow you to become a problem…..do you understand that?"

Where was he going with this!?

"That's why…..I'm going to need you to perform your duty to the letter. Even if that means I have to persuade you. After all, an average human like you can be put to good use to serve those known as mankind's hope. I'll say it again, for your sake. You really should feel honored by this."

Sato didn't want to think about it, but she knew there was no way around it.

She was now caught in Nagito's web, and she didn't see a way out.


It's been some 40 or something chapters.

Time to unleash Nagito.

There are many moving parts, and I haven't even begun to set everything up yet. Like I said, this will be my most ambitious story line yet. I hope I can pull it off.

Well, that's all for now. Hope it was enjoyable.

Till next time.