Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.
Chapter 41:
What a Weekend Part I
It was only supposed to be a simple picnic with the class. You know, just eating delicious food and chatting about random stuff on a wonderfully sunny day. Yep, just a normal every day occurrence.
Except this class wasn't normal. They were all Ultimates. And if it wasn't obvious by now, things were never simple when Ultimates were involved.
The food on its own was already abnormal enough. Chisa had to declare that it was on an ultimate level. When Teruteru went all out, he went all out. There was no holding back. He apparently put more effort into today's meals because of Chisa, since this was her first picnic with them. It made Chisa happy, although she probably would have been more happy if the short cook hadn't also mentioned how his food was sure to make her panties wet once she got a taste. If only she had had something to smack him with. Her short blades were only good for stabbing.
How unfortunate.
That was only the beginning, though. Out of nowhere, after they got settled in and started eating, Gundham suddenly unleashed a wide variety of birds upon the class, and when that happened chaos took hold. Of course, not in a bad sense. Everyone simply jumped on the opportunity to interact with some of the coolest looking birds they had ever seen. This might have scared a different teacher. It wasn't every day that one of your students brought exotic looking birds to class, but for Chisa she was right there with her students, sharing in their excitement.
"Kekekeke, behold their majesty." Gundham was looking rather proud of himself as he stood in the middle of the group. His red eye was glowing as one of the birds positioned itself right over his head. It was pretty evident that it too was posing along with the Ultimate Breeder. "These familiars are some of my new contracts. BEHOLD THEIR POWER!"
Naruto was too busy gawking at the bird on Gundham's head to complain about his usual idiosyncrasies.
"What kind of bird is that?"
The blond didn't have much experience with animals other than toads honestly. He had never taken an interest in such things. The only one of his friends who would have any sort of intensive knowledge about exotic animals would be Shino with his bugs. Kiba too, but dogs were kind of more "normal" than bugs or birds.
Right?
Either way, seeing Gundham have such ease commanding all these birds was something else. He was like a summoner in Naruto's eyes.
Kurama didn't share the blond's excitement as he warily eyed all the birds that were now out and about from on top of Naruto's head. He was ready to strike at any moment, and was only able to feel more at ease when he saw his hamster friends relaxed. If they were comfortable with these strange looking flying monstrosities, then he could be too.
"Intrigued, are you?" Gundham smirked at the blond, looking like he had just won something. "This familiar is a peculiar one. I doubt you have any knowledge on its powers. I suppose its moniker in the human world is the steppe eagle. It has a very interesting life cycle, if you are curious about such things. Unfortunately, it has come under my care for protection."
So it was an eagle, huh. Naruto thought as much. It did sort of look like some of the eagles back in his world.
Naruto took a moment to wonder if the animals here were wholly different from his world, or if their similar appearances meant that they were actually the same. Gundham had taught him that just because animals shared a similar physique did not mean that they were related or were even the same type of animal. It was their genes that defined that…..whatever that meant. Naruto had started to become confused at that point, but he understood the first part at least!
But protection?
"What sort of protection?"
"They're endangered, Uzumaki-kun." It was Chisa who answered his question as she walked up to them with a smile. She had a bird of her own on her shoulder, except Naruto was sure this one wasn't an eagle. It was much smaller and a lot more colorful.
"Endangered?" What did that mean?
Chisa nodded. "It means it's at risk of going extinct. It's the same for this little guy here. I believe it's called a ground dove?"
Gundham looked impressed by this. "H'mph, I had no idea you held such knowledge. Not bad for a mortal."
Was that a compliment? Chisa decided to take it as one. Easier that way. "Sort of. I'm no expert like you, Tanaka-kun, but I do try to know a little bit of everything. They're really beautiful, so it's saddening to know they're endangered."
Naruto scratched his head. "I don't really get it. Why would they be going extinct?"
He had never heard of anything like that back in his world.
"For a number of reasons," Chisa said while shaking her head a little. "For this little guy, it's because its habitat is being endangered. It's being destroyed, so they have nowhere to go. I'm not really sure what the situation is with the steppe eagle, though."
"Habitat, huh." Naruto placed a hand under his chin as he hummed.
Giggling, Chisa said, "It means their home, Uzumaki-kun."
"Ah, so that's it!"
But wait, that raised more questions.
"Why would their homes be threatened? They're not hurting anyone!"
To this, Gundham scoffed. "It's the arrogance of humanity, you fool. Unlike other creatures, humans do not know their place. They're never content, and so they must take everything from other creatures. It's vile. So vile that not even someone as deplorable as I would stoop to such actions."
Ah…..Naruto didn't really get any of that.
Sweatdropping a little, Chisa decided to put it another way. "What Tanaka-kun means is that people are tearing down the doves' homes to make room for more cities and other infrastructure. These little guys like to live in forests, which only gets in the way when you're trying to build a new city or more homes for people to live in. Do you understand, Uzumaki-kun?"
Sort of. It only pissed Naruto off, though.
"That's stupid. There has to be a balance!"
There was no reason to kill so many animals for a reason like that, right?
Gundham cackled. "Kekeke, for a fool, you understand things well." He then frowned. "But as I said, humans are foolish creatures. They do not know balance. We have long since forgotten where we came from. It is…..detestable."
He said that last word with much disgust.
"It's not that simple, you two." Chisa went into her lecture mode. "I understand where you're coming from, I do. It is something that is still being debated to this day, all around the world. But many countries also need space for their citizens. They have no choice sometimes."
Naruto wasn't buying it. "There is always a choice, sensei."
"H'mph, the fool is right. Fighting for your survival is a natural concept. However! This is not for survival! It is simply a constant need to expand! To disrupt the natural order of things! It is merely the arrogance of humans! They cannot find the balance that other species have managed to cultivate! It is an abomination!"
"Damn right!"
The two boys were quick to bump fists in agreement.
Over the past week, Chisa had seen Naruto and Gundham argue over petty things many times. They were always butting heads with one another as much as they did with Kazuichi. Seeing them come to an agreement over something like this was not something she would have expected in all honesty. Gundham she could understand, given his talent and area of expertise. But Naruto too?
This made Chisa start to feel curious again, but she didn't show it.
She still had to shake her head in slight exasperation. They weren't going to change their minds, were they?
"You two are so stubborn."
That's another thing they had in common it seemed.
And neither boy minded that.
Chisa did have one question of her own, though.
"What are you doing with all these animals, Tanaka-kun?"
"Oh!" Naruto smacked his fist on his open palm. "I think I get it. It's like with your hamsters, right? You're trying to…..uh…breed them? Right?"
That was the term, wasn't it?
Gundham smirked. "In a way. You are correct that I have been tasked with raising their numbers. They possess marvelous abilities, after all. It would be a shame to lose them. Truly, this will increase the grandness of the Tanaka Empire! I am already raising a whole new army under my command! Tremble before my power, you fool! Fuhahahahahaha!"
Naruto wanted to smack him now. "Don't get carried away, you idiot! And stop calling me a fool!"
He might have been too fixated on the birds before to call him out on it, but not anymore!
Gundham was too busy laughing like a madman to respond, which only pissed Naruto off more.
Chisa on the other hand was really impressed. She had read about how several animal conservation groups were working with Gundham in order to safeguard certain species. She didn't know if there was a specific animal he worked with, but from what she was seeing it looked as if he was a general expert. To be entrusted with so many species….well, he might say some odd things, but Chisa had no doubt that the boy was truly talented.
It only made her all the more proud to be his new teacher. It's how she felt about everyone here!
Really, what a wonderful opportunity this was. And Chisa wasn't going to take that for granted.
"Hmm, how strange."
Once things had settled down and everyone began eating again, Mahiru took a quick glance at her phone to see that she had a new message. It was from Sato, but this message wasn't like the usual ones she sent. It was more…..vague? Mahiru didn't know how to explain it. She just got a strange vibe from it.
"Hm? What's the matter?" Hiyoko asked her as she munched on one of the sandwiches. They were so delicious, she had already eaten four of them! Way more than her usual amount. Teruteru's skills were just too damn good. Of course, that wasn't even close to the amount Akane was eating, but there was no need to focus on that. "Did big bro Hanamura put something weird in your food?"
"I-I would never do such a thing!" Having heard the accusation, Teruteru was quick to denounce it. "I would never risk adding anything that would ruin the taste of my dishes! Besides, it was you who drugged us the last time, Miss Hiyoko!"
Chisa blinked a couple of times when she heard this.
"Drugged?"
What the heck was that all about?
"Ah." Blushing a little, Mikan poked her fingers together. "T-That is something that needs to be forgotten about."
Nekomaru was in agreement. "Yes, that was quite the ordeal. But I will never be caught off guard like that again!"
Fuyuhiko scoffed. "Like you would know when you were drugged."
With how simpleminded Nekomaru was, drugging him again would not take that much planning. Not that Fuyuhiko was interested in that sort of thing mind you. It was just an observation.
"Hey, you got caught up in it too!" Kazuichi pointed at the yakuza heir. "For such a big shot yakuza, you fell pretty quickly for that trap!"
"Come over here, motherfucker. I'll be glad to give you a couple of scars for that comment."
Kazuichi looked smug. "You can't scare me!"
"T'ch." Clicking his teeth, Fuyuhiko looked away. "You ain't worth my time."
"See!"
"Hey, morons, shut up!" Hiyoko snapped at them. "Big Sis is troubled, and she's more important than either of you!"
Kazuichi grumbled. "Always so bratty….."
Couldn't Hiyoko say one nice thing to him, even once!? That's all Kazuichi wanted dammit! It wasn't too much to ask for, right?
Naruto raised an eyebrow as Kurama tried to sneak in one bite from his sandwich before the blond noticed.
"What's wrong, Mahiru?"
Putting her phone away, Mahiru smiled, although it looked a bit forced.
"It's nothing. I just got a text from Sato is all. About the school festival."
Oh yeah? Wasn't that a good thing?
Naruto looked excited now. "Do you think she wants to join us?"
Mahiru sweatdropped a little. "Um, she does have her own class, you know…."
She couldn't just join them. That was against the rules.
"Oh yeah." Naruto had forgotten about that.
Byakuya smirked. "Idiot."
"Shut up!"
Mahiru titled her head a little. "I still don't know what she wants to talk about, though. She didn't look all that excited about the school festival in the first place."
Nagito chuckled softly at this. "I wouldn't overthink it, Koizumi-san. Sato-san probably just realized what an honor it would be to help you and Uzumaki-kun pull this off."
Hmm, maybe so. But an "honor"? Mahiru wouldn't go that far.
"Well, I just hope she comes around," Naruto said. "I want everyone to enjoy this school festival as much as possible."
That was the whole point of this idea, after all.
"That does bring up a good point, though." Peko looked at the Uzumaki. "What exactly are we going to be doing for the festival?"
They hadn't decided on anything yet.
"I still say my idea is the best!" Teruteru exclaimed with his nose bleeding.
The others all groaned.
"No one is dressing up for you, Teruteru-chan." Ibuki shuddered at the thought. "Especially not in swimsuits!"
"But it's such a wonderful idea! I'm sure it would win us all the points with the student council!"
Mahiru deadpanned. "You know there are girls in the student council too, right?"
Yes, but who was the student council president? Teruteru was sure the guy was a closet pervert!
"I have never participated in a school festival before, so I do not know what we could do." Sonia bowed her head. "I apologize for my inexperience!"
"You don't have to apologize for anything, Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi gave her a thumbs up. "I never participated in a school festival either!"
"Wow, look at this guy." Hiyoko snickered. "Is that really something to brag about?"
Kazuichi stuttered, "I-I'm just saying she isn't the only one!"
What was wrong with that!?
"You can leave it to Ibuki then!" Standing up, Ibuki placed her hands on her hips with a smug look of her own. "I don't mean to brag, but Ibuki was always the bomb at her school festivals!"
"That does make sense." Chisa nodded to herself. "You probably played with your band, right?"
"Eeeek!" Ibuki looked startled. "Sensei knows about Ibuki's old band!?"
Oh yeah, she had mentioned something like that before. Naruto had sort of forgotten about it, but Ibuki used to be in a band, didn't she?
How did Chisa know about that, though?
"Anyway, those were the old days!" Ibuki raised her fist in excitement. "It's time for Ibuki's new band to take the scene!"
Wait, what?
"I get it!" Hiyoko jumped to her feet too, looking excited as well. "We can perform for the school festival!"
"Hiyoko-chan does get it! It's time for our debut! Again!"
Hah, seeing Hiyoko excited about the idea was pretty cute. Especially with how much she claimed she hated performing with Ibuki.
"While that's not a bad idea, I don't think that can work," Byakuya said, stepping into the conversation. "We also want to do something as well. We can't just leave it to the two of you. We want to have some fun too."
"Can a class do two things, though?" Peko asked, curious.
Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. The student council hasn't said anything about that."
"We must appeal then!" Ibuki nearly tackled Naruto to the ground as she jumped over to where he was sitting. "You have connections, Naruto-chan! Use them!"
Mahiru sweatdropped again. "Isn't that like unfair?"
Trying to bribe the student council just because they had a semi-personal relationship with its leader…...so dirty.
"Not at all!" Sonia smiled. "It is normal in the corporate world! We must make use of all of our available resources! It is only natural, is it not?"
Spoken like a true politician.
"I'm not going to do anything like that." Naruto had to push Ibuki away as the Ultimate Musician continued to try and jump on top of him. "I want us to win, but we gotta play by the rules like everyone else."
"Ahahaha, that's splendid!" Nagito smiled widely. "Of course, with your talents, I'm sure there's no one in the Reserve Course who can hope to compete with you guys."
Mahiru didn't like the way Nagito phrased that, but she didn't voice her opinion for once. She was more focused on Sato's text and trying to correct Nagito just wasn't worth it right now.
"Stop being such a bitch," Fuyuhiko said. "All you gotta do is ask that bastard if it's against the rules or not."
Oh.
Then Naruto could do that, no problems.
"But man, you really care about the rules that much, huh?" Hiyoko threw a smirk Naruto's way. "How much of a goody two-shoes, are you?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "If we start cheating, then there's no point to this. But don't get me wrong. It's also fun to mess with your opponent from time to time. Seeing their reaction makes it all worth it! So I still think you should cheat sometimes."
And he said this like he was talking about the weather too.
Chisa looked disappointed. "Uzumaki-kun….."
He was truly a bad influence, wasn't he?
"Hah, that's the mindset for the weak, Uzumaki!" Nekomaru shouted. "I, NIDAI NEKOMARU, CANNOT ABIDE BY IT!"
Naruto's face was blank.
"Nekomaru, I'm a ninja. Not an athlete."
And ninjas didn't play fair.
"THAT-!" Nekomaru started to shout again, only for his mouth to shut as he began to ponder what Naruto had just said. He rubbed his chin in thought, nodding a couple of times.
"I see your point!"
JUST LIKE THAT!?
Fuyuhiko was amused. "Dumbass."
Mahiru wasn't convinced, though. "We are going to have a talk about that mindset of yours, Naruto."
"But I-"
"Is that clear?"
Oh boy, the redhead was giving him another one of her glares. And there was no fighting against that. With that technique under her belt, Mahiru was the strongest one in the class.
Sighing, Naruto just resigned to his fate.
"Hmm, still. Fights are all about winning." Peko was still considering what Naruto had just said, and she had to agree with him. "It does not matter how you do it. As long as you come out victorious, it only makes sense that you take whatever precautions you feel are necessary."
If that meant cheating, then so be it. In those circumstances, survival was the most important thing.
"B-But don't you have to play fair in your competitions?" Mikan wondered.
Peko shook her head at this. "I was not talking about official competitions, Tsumiki. I'm sure you can understand what Naruto is getting at here, even if he did phrase it poorly."
Naruto grumbled. "You don't have to call me out on it like that, Peko-chan."
So he wasn't the best at explaining stuff. Sue him.
"Oh." It was Chisa who understood what Peko was getting at first. It wasn't hard, as she had a detailed report on Peko's "job" as a hitman for the Kuzuryu clan.
But wait, that didn't make sense, right? Peko was one thing. Her background explained why she thought the way she did. If Naruto was raising the same point as her, though, wouldn't that mean that he had grown up in a similar environment as the Ultimate Swordswoman?
That just raised a whole lot of other questions. Should she be surprised? Chisa wasn't sure. The title of Ultimate Ninja came with certain assumptions, such as battle prowess and maybe even a certain mindset. On the flip side, Naruto didn't fit the mold of the traditional "ninja." Not as far as history went anyway. Another mystery right there. Where did Naruto come from? Just where would a modern day "ninja" be trained? Just….so many questions!
But she was getting sidetracked. To Chisa, Naruto was just a kind and goofy kid. What Peko was insinuating went against that.
Had Naruto risked his life before? Faced off in a battle where his life was at stake? Despite being so young, had he stared death in the face just as Peko had?
Chisa recalled the boy's injury from before, and the "mission" he had supposedly been on. Did that relate to this?
"Fighting to the death is an extreme," Chiaki said, looking up from her meal. Her eyes were half-closed. She was pretty sleepy, considering she had stayed up all night playing video games. Again. "But you shouldn't cheat when it comes to games. That's no fun, Uzumaki-kun."
Naruto raised his arms in defeat. "I wasn't talking about that, Chiaki! Besides, you always beat me in our matches anyway."
The blond had never won against her before. It was a bit frustrating really. It wasn't that he was a gamer per se. Just competitive.
Chiaki smiled. "Then you should practice more often. There's this arcade nearby that we can go to this weekend, if you're interested."
What an interesting twist. Here they were, talking about the merits of cheating. And then Chiaki came and invited him to play video games with her. It was kind of funny to the blond, and-
Wait, why was everyone so quiet of all a sudden? And why were they staring at him and Chiaki like they had just murdered someone?
"Ohohohoho." It was Teruteru who broke the silence. "My, my. You're bold Miss Chiaki! Even my buddy is speechless right now!"
Okay, gross. Secondly, what the heck was the cook talking about now?
"That's not fair, Chiaki-chan!" Ibuki exclaimed as she burst into fake tears. "You pulled one under Ibuki! But no matter! I'll still ask Naruto-chan out on a date too!"
Wait, wait, wait. What the heck was happening right now?
"Oh my." Chisa covered her mouth as she tried to fight her laughter. She hadn't foreseen this development either. Her adorable students kept her on her toes, that's for sure.
"I understand now!" Sonia's eyes were brimming with excitement. "So you had the same idea as me! Do you see now, Tsumiki-san! We cannot lose!"
"A-Ah!" Mikan half-shrieked, half-squealed as all the attention shifted to her all of a sudden. "I-I-I…..!"
The poor girl almost fainted on the spot, right then and there.
"What the hell is happening…?" Kazuichi and Naruto said at the same time, with the former turning to the latter with a sudden burst of indignation.
"Don't act so surprised, you dense idiot! You planned this, didn't you! Somehow! It's the prophecy coming true! I should have killed you long ago!"
This fool! Talking about that now-!
"Ahahaha!" Nagito was having the time of his life right now. "You guys are never boring!"
Byakuya smirked a little. "That's one way of putting it, sure."
Fuyuhiko seemed to share that sentiment, having a smirk of his own.
This new wave of chaos would have probably erupted further, if it weren't for the sudden appearance of two individuals.
"Uwah, so this is the main school building. I've never seen it up close!"
"Stop talking so loudly, Masaru! They'll hear us!"
"H-How is that my fault! You guys are the ones being too loud!"
"This was a terrible idea."
"That's what I said back in the classroom, Nagisa. But no one heard me. I guess that's what I get for being so dislikeable, huh."
"You idiots are going to ruin this for me! Now just be nice and quiet like Monaca!"
"Jeez, Kotoko. Why are you being so annoying?"
"Huh!? Say that again, you stinking pervert! You are being not adorbs right now!"
"Why the heck would I care about that in the first place!?"
Nagisa had to let out a sigh as Kotoko and Masaru started arguing with one another. Oh yeah, this really was a bad idea.
Why was he with these idiots again?
Oh yeah, because he cared. They were the only friends he had, after all.
Still, to sneak out of their classroom in the middle of the day and come all the way to this part of the school was not ideal. It was no wonder they were dubbed the "problematic students." Not that Nagisa agreed with that label of course. He outright detested it. He was sure the others felt the same way as he did. It wasn't their fault that they were so…...problematic, as the adults put it. They weren't the ones who got to decide that, though. That was left to the grownups.
What a joke.
But he was getting off track here.
"You guys are being too loud right now. We won't be able to stay hidden here for too long."
Right now, the five of them were on a little quest. Despite what he said earlier, sneaking out of the classroom had been fun. They never did anything worthwhile in there anyway. It had been Kotoko's idea, so that they could go out and see Naruto again. The blond hadn't come to see them all week, and Kotoko had been grumbling about that for the past couple of days.
So here they were, out in one of the gardens of Hope's Peak Academy hiding behind a tree. In all honesty, Nagisa didn't think they were going to find Naruto. He was sure the guy was inside the main school building with his class. But as their luck would have it, they were able to find him outside of the classroom.
It looked as if he was having a picnic with his class, and in all honesty it looked pretty fun. A part of Nagisa wanted to join Naruto, a sentiment he was sure the others were feeling. But he held himself back. He wasn't like Kotoko, who seemed to trust in the blond. Nagisa just couldn't, despite his wish to do so.
Not yet.
Monaca laughed softly from her wheelchair. "I don't think this is going to get us anywhere, you guys. Maybe we should just-"
"Oh, what do we have here?"
The five kids felt their heart stop for a second when they were caught off guard by a new voice coming from behind them. They slowly turned their heads and found Chisa standing there, her face curious as she looked at them.
"What the-!" Astonished, Masaru looked back to the picnic where the Ultimates were. And sure enough, Chisa was no longer there. But she had been with them, sitting and smiling like a second ago!
"Woah." Jataro had to admire the woman in front of them. "She's like a teleporter. But like she can't actually teleport. Because then the whole universe would fall apart."
Always so melodramatic.
Chisa crossed her arms and smiled. "No, I cannot teleport. I just move very fast."
"Oh, just like Naruto." Masaru grinned. "I bet he's still stronger than you, though!"
What a funny thing for him to say.
"Regardless of who's stronger, what are you kids doing out here?" Chisa then noticed the uniforms they were wearing. "You five….are you from the elementary school division?"
"Y-Yeah, maybe." Masaru stuttered. "Why? You got a problem with that!?"
Nagisa sighed. "Stop trying to make things worse for us, Masaru. We've been caught."
Trying to antagonize this woman wasn't going to help them.
"We couldn't help it, though!" Kotoko said. "We had to come see Naruto-kun before he forgot about us!"
Say what?
"Uzumaki-kun?" Chisa's eyebrow rose a bit. "You know him?"
Nagisa averted his gaze. "Something like that. He's…..an acquaintance."
An acquaintance? What kind of kid would use a word like that?
"Oh, ooooohhh I get it now." Jataro lowered his head. "Naruto isn't our friend because of me, right? He totally hates me, doesn't he? Is that why he hasn't come to see us? Because I'm there? I'm really sorry, you guys."
Masaru wasn't having it. "Stop talking, Jataro! Naruto still remembers us! He's probably just been busy or something!"
Monaca giggled. "Oh my. Are you saying you've missed Naruto too, Masaru? I thought you were the one who said we didn't need him."
"T-That's not the point! Jeez, Monaca. Cut me some slack."
Making Masaru blush like this….it was kind of fun.
"Well, it's only natural." Kotoko's face was smug as she poked Masaru's back a couple of times. "He's really strong, and you want to be strong like him too. Right?"
"S-Shut up, all of you! I ain't listening to any of you anymore!"
"Oh wow." Jataro was taken aback by this. "Masaru is the one being teased? But shouldn't you guys be teasing me? Or am I not worth even that?"
Nagisa felt like he was going to get a headache. "Trying to correct you at this point feels pointless."
Chisa just stood back and observed the five kids in silence. Something was a bit off about them, and she didn't just mean Jataro's weird mask or the fact that one of them was in a wheelchair. There was something…..deeper than that, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. It was just her intuition really.
Other than that, though, if Naruto knew them, then there was no reason to make them stand out here like this.
Clapping her hands to get their attention, Chisa offered them her trademark gentle smile.
"Do you want to join us?"
Five more mouths wouldn't hurt, right?
"Suspicious. Totally suspicious."
Mahiru almost verbally agreed with Hiyoko's assessment as she glanced over to where Naruto was.
After Chiaki's unexpected invitation, or "date," to Naruto, two members of the student council had approached their picnic. It wasn't the student council president. In fact, Mahiru had never seen them before. Not that it was surprising as she didn't have much contact with the student council anyway, but still.
She was suspicious too. Why?
Because the two members were girls!
Ugh, she felt like berating herself right now. Since when was she the jealous type!? Getting upset like this just because a guy she was interested in was talking to other girls…..was there something wrong with her!?
Although her mind was a mess right now. How couldn't it be? Not after what Chiaki, Ibuki, and Sonia had done. Just what in the world were those three thinking?
And how could she bold like them?
Mahiru glanced over to Mikan for a second, who was quietly staring at her plate. She hadn't touched her food for a while.
'I thought only Tsumiki was interested in the idiot. What is going on?'
Mahiru had so many questions right now, and she doubted she would get any answers.
Speaking of that fiasco-
"I'm going to kill him." Kazuichi looked at Fuyuhiko. "We're doing this, Kuzuryu. We're killing the idiot. For the good of the world!"
The yakuza heir looked bored. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I didn't want to believe it, but it looks like that prophecy is coming true. That is why we must end his life! Otherwise he's going to get the eroge ending, and I'll die before I let that bastard enjoy a harem!"
Fuyuhiko couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You do realize this isn't a game, right?"
"That's irrelevant!"
It was pretty relevant actually.
"You saw what just happened! It's up to us now to save the world from his tyranny!"
"Are you on drugs?"
"No! I'm serious!"
"Mhmm, do my ears betray me?" Out of nowhere, Teruteru appeared in between the two boys, a hand on his chin. "There are talks of prophecies and murders? I must be a part of this at once!"
"Get this, Hanamura-!"
As Kazuichi began to ramble to the cook, Fuyuhiko tuned the whole thing out. He just knew that this day was going to be getting more troublesome before it was finished.
Kisaragi Karen and Kamii Tsubasa. These were the two student council members that had come seeking Naruto out. That probably made it sound more ominous than it really was. Apparently, they just wanted to speak to him about something.
"Is something wrong?" That's what Naruto was expecting in all honesty. There was no other reason for the student council to seek him out.
"You don't have to worry, Uzumaki-san," Karen said, a hand on her glasses. "We don't come bearing bad news. The president just has another favor to ask of you."
A favor?
Unlike Karen, Tsubasa was more upbeat as she said, "Mhmm! Since you're the representative for your class, he felt like asking you was more wise. That, and you are helping us with the school festival directly."
Representative?
Naruto scratched his cheek. "I think you got the wrong. I'm not the representative." Whatever that meant. "I don't think we've chosen one…."
Is that how it worked?
The two girls traded looks with one another before Karen responded.
"We know your class has yet to choose an official representative, but the president told us that you were the one. Your class seems to think so."
They did? Well, wasn't that embarrassing?
"I'm not really sure what a representative does, but I can do my best."
Tsubasa beamed. "That is not a problem, Uzumaki-san. We are not here about that. We just want your help in convincing your class to participate in the beauty competition we are setting up."
The what?
"You see, Murasame-kun was trying to think of new ways to liven up the school festival. In his research, he found that many schools host a beauty competition to decide the most beautiful girl in school…..or something like that. I can't really remember his exact words….."
Naruto sweatdropped. Was this girl a bit of an airhead or what? And the president….was he a pervert like Teruteru too!?
"I'm not exactly sure what you want me to do here."
What the heck were they expecting him to do about something like that?
Karen had to sigh softly. "Just speak to your female classmates and ask them to see if they're interested. If at least one of them signs up, we can hopefully gain some momentum and have other volunteers."
Seriously?
"Why's that?"
Did it matter if any of the girls in his class participated?
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Tsubasa tilted her head. "Many of the other classes want to beat you. You know that, right?"
They do!?
"You didn't know." Shaking her head, Karen said, "You guys really are in your own little bubble, aren't you?"
Was that an insult?
Naruto had to defend his class. "What do you want me to say? It's not like we've done anything to catch their attention!"
Karen looked at him in disbelief. "How can you say that after that festival stunt you guys pulled? And then working together with the president. It's like you're declaring war with the whole school!"
It was? Naruto couldn't see it. Sure, he had been trying to think of ways to get everyone else motivated, but if what Karen said was true, then plenty of other Ultimates were already motivated.
Motivated to defeat him and his class that is.
"Many Ultimates are very prideful," Karen added with a light shrug. "And this declaration of war is not something they can ignore."
"I wasn't trying to declare war, though….."
That was just so violent.
Tsubasa smiled in a wry manner. "You don't have to be so modest, Uzumaki-san. In fact, we're looking forward to seeing what you and your class can do. Hopefully you don't cause us too much paperwork."
Knowing his classmates, Naruto was positive that they would.
But once again, he felt his excitement start to rise. He might have been less motivated before since it didn't feel like he had anyone to go up against. Except for maybe Ruruka and her class.
This…..this did make him smile.
Now, he and the others were definitely going to come up with something amazing.
That was a promise.
They say time moves faster when you're having fun, and Naruto had to agree with that.
In an unexpected twist, they spent much of the remainder of the day outside just chilling and playing with Gundham's birds some more. It was only all the more fun since the Li'l Ultimates joined them out of nowhere. Apparently they were feeling lonely since he hadn't gone to see them all week. Admittedly Naruto felt bad about that. He had just been too preoccupied with the school festival and having a new teacher that he had sort of forgotten to visit them.
That's why he made it up to them by playing with them all that afternoon. Of course, the others were also there enjoying the fun day outside.
Chisa was more strict than Koichi, but she could also be just as lax. Naruto liked that about her.
Regrettably, time had to move forward, with the end of the school day fast approaching. It was time for him to enjoy his weekend.
Or so Naruto thought. For you see, the blond now faced a conundrum. Several actually.
First of all….had he just really been asked out on a date today!? And by several girls in fact!?
Again, just what the hell was going on!?
So that was the first thing. He had found himself pinned down by Ibuki after the picnic had concluded. The two had been alone in one of the back sections of the school. Well, Kurama had been there too. But the little fox had been more preoccupied with just watching how things played out instead of helping him.
What a bastard.
"Chiaki-chan might have gotten the drop on me before, but Ibuki will take the lead now," is what the Ultimate Musician had said.
Naruto being Naruto had no idea what she had been talking about. He just knew that he now had to hang out with her after school.
This was going to be his first…..date. Oh god, just thinking about it made him feel embarrassed. He had been caught off guard, and he still had no idea what was going on inside Ibuki's head!
Now, he was facing problem number two.
Kazuichi.
Sighing, Naruto toyed with the bamboo sword in his hands, giving it a couple of test swings.
"What are we doing here?"
The blond was in the gym, but he was not alone. All of his male classmates were there with him, most importantly Kazuichi who stood on stage with a sword of his own. His cap was gone, and in its place was a white headband tied securely to his head.
His face was composed, an unusual sight for the Ultimate Mechanic.
"It is quite simple, Uzumaki-kun!" The blond raised an eyebrow when he saw Teruteru on stage next to Kazuichi. "Soda-kun has issued you a challenge, and you must accept!"
"What the hell is even happening anymore?" Fuyuhiko muttered from the sidelines, where he and the others were watching the whole thing.
Nagito chuckled. "I think this is Soda-kun's declaration of war against Uzumaki-kun."
Fuyuhiko could see that much, but he still couldn't believe it. When Kazuichi had asked Peko to borrow two bamboo swords from the dojo, he didn't think it was going to be for this of all things.
"I think it's wonderful!" Of course, Nekomaru had a different opinion on the whole thing. "Soda is demonstrating us his will and determination! OUTSTANDING!"
Wait, weren't will and determination the same thing?
Anyway!
"He's still barking up the wrong tree," Fuyuhiko retorted. "Challenging Uzumaki to a sword match is the stupidest thing he could have done."
Naruto had the scariest physical abilities of their whole class as far as Fuyuhiko was concerned. This was a waste of time.
"Perhaps that is why he is doing it," Byakuya said, his arms crossed.
"True enough, sometimes it takes a fool to understand a fool," Gundham muttered.
Fuyuhiko had no idea what that meant, and he didn't really care all that much to decipher it. Not right now. He was more interested in seeing what was about to happen, despite what he had said earlier.
What ended up happening was not a match of course, least of all a fight.
Kazuichi raised his sword and charged at the blond, jumping down from the stage in the process. Then, it was just a matter of Naruto swatting the sword out of Kazuichi's hands in one swift move before sweeping his legs.
The match was completed even before it had begun!
Fuyuhiko smirked. "Told you."
"No one disagreed with you," Byakuya pointed out, also smirking a little.
Naruto on the other hand was sighing again as he knelt next to Kazuichi.
"What exactly was your plan here?"
Kazuichi frowned. "To declare war on you, you idiot!"
"You know you can't beat me."
"Obviously."
"Then what?"
"It doesn't matter. Besides, even if I did beat you, I doubt that would change Miss Sonia's feelings."
Naruto looked away for a moment. He had a feeling that was what this was about.
"You know, Kazuichi, Sonia and I…..we kissed."
His admission caused a few reactions. On stage, Teruteru fainted. Just about everyone else looked surprised, apart from Fuyuhiko and Byakuya. Fuyuhiko because he already knew and Byakuya because he had sort of suspected something like that had happened between the two blonds.
And Kazuichi….well, he tried to strangle the Uzumaki.
"You son of a bitch! How could you!"
Naruto appreciated Kazuichi's effort, but the mechanic was far too slow to catch him. All he did was step back before Kazuichi could sit up and catch him.
"It wasn't intentional. It just…..happened."
"What the hell kind of excuse is that!?" Kazuichi shouted. "You don't just stumble into something like that!"
Naruto scratched his head. "I wish I could give you a better explanation, but right now I'm just as confused as you are."
"Don't give me that crap, you eroge protagonist! That's what you are, isn't it!? You're planning on leaving the rest of us behind while you ascend into adulthood! You bastard!"
Naruto felt like Kazuichi had said something like that before. He still had no idea what it meant.
"Look, do you want the truth or not?"
"The truth would help," Kazuichi grumbled. "I don't feel like being lied to again."
Naruto couldn't fault him for that. Although at the same time he couldn't fully agree.
"We didn't lie to you."
"Not you." Kazuichi was no longer joking. He was just a guy sitting on the floor ready to confront everything. "I'll tell you about it later. I already have a feeling what's going on. I don't know why, but when I look at your face I can feel like I know what you're thinking."
Oh?
Naruto sat next to him. "If you already know that, then what was this all about?"
"I already told you. It's my declaration of war against you. I'm not giving up."
Naruto didn't know what to say to that. At least he understood one thing now.
"What I asked you before, about Sonia….."
"I've got my own answer now!" Kazuichi answered instantly. "I told you I had a plan, right? You might be ahead of me right now, but I'll still try to beat you. I can't run away like I did last time. And." He hesitated here. "I can tell you're confused too. I was just doubtful of it. I wanted to make sure you were sincere. It's easy for me to distrust others, but I didn't want things to end up that way between us. That's why I took the initiative this time. I didn't want to run away for a second time."
This guy. For all the dumb crap he said, he was actually making a lot of sense right now. And that he had more of a reason to doubt others than Naruto had thought.
It was like sort of with Nekomaru. There was someone in Kazuichi's past that had shaped the Kazuichi Naruto had come to know. That's what the blond was getting from this. And like with Nekomaru, Naruto was ready to wait until Kazuichi was ready to tell him about it.
"I'm still crushing that damn prophecy. I don't care what that stupid fortune teller guy said. You ain't getting lucky on my watch. Especially not with Miss Sonia. You got that?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "First of all, that's all crap. How can I have five wives? It makes no sense! But glad to see that I have you on my corner, Kazuichi." He said that last part sarcastically.
"Don't push your luck, you stupid eroge protagonist. I'm still pissed you kissed her before I could!"
Is that what he was going to call him now? Maybe Naruto should have hit him at least once before bringing him down.
It was still nice to have their problems aired out like this, even if it was troublesome.
The two boys felt satisfied, until they realized that they weren't alone.
"Well, well." Fuyuhiko smirked. "Wasn't this touching?"
Next to him, Nekomaru was already crying. "You two…..YOU HAVE OPENED MY EYES EVEN FURTHER!"
"What the hell!?" Kazuichi looked ready to die. "Why are you guys still here!?"
Byakuya had to smirk as well. "Where were we supposed to go exactly?"
Besides, missing all of that would have been a shame.
"Ahaha, I think this was wonderful!" Nagito was elated. "Soda-kun, you faced your insecurities head on and are now stronger because of it! You are like hope itself right now!"
"I don't need to hear that from you, Komaeda! You're annoying!"
Predictably, Nagito didn't take offense to it and just continued to laugh.
"Mhmm, so lovely." And of course, Teruteru hadn't actually been unconscious this whole time. "Despite my initial disappointment, I'm starting to get excited again!"
Gundham did not look amused. "He's starting to release his foul aura again."
"Just ignore him," Fuyuhiko muttered.
"INCREDIBLE!" Nekomaru clenched his fist as the electricity around his eyes grew in intensity. "We have to support the both of them from this point on! For the future!"
"H'mph, calm your ass down," Fuyuhiko said. "It's not that serious. Besides, they both got shit taste. That broad is more trouble than she's worth."
Wow, so inspiring, Fuyuhiko! Truly, you were a supportive friend.
At least Naruto was able to settle one conundrum.
Now he just had like five others to deal with.
This was going to be a fun weekend, he just knew it.
"Naruto-chan, there's trouble brewing. Can you sense it?"
"Eh, no."
"What! How can you not! Ibuki thought you had extra ninja senses! You can't even predict the future? What kind of ninja are you?"
"You've just insulted so many people, that I don't even know where to start."
"Irrelevant! We must move now! Ibuki has great plans for tonight!"
Great plans, she said. And here he was, just a passenger on that plan.
Naruto took another look at his surroundings as he followed Ibuki through the busy city streets. It was Friday night, so everything was buzzing with movement. It was the start of the weekend, and many people wanted to get a good start on it and enjoy themselves.
The two teenagers were the same, although Naruto was still a bit confused about this invitation. Was this a date? And if it was…..why?
The blond was dressed casually for the night. Just a pair of blue jeans and a simple orange t-shirt. It was getting too hot to wear a jacket, even at night. At least there was a cool breeze. Not enough to make him shiver, but good enough.
That didn't stop Ibuki from wearing her usual punk clothes. He used that correctly, right? He was sure he read about that in some magazine. About the punk aesthetic, and it seemed to match Ibuki. Not that he had ever asked the girl about it. Regardless, she was looking like her usual self, wearing another one of her highly customized school uniforms. Honestly, it fit her pretty well. Naruto didn't get the holes in her socks, though.
Fashion was weird. Probably why he never cared for it.
Anyway, where was he?
Oh yeah, great plans.
"You had stuff to do tonight?" Naruto asked her as they continued on their walk. They were right in the middle of the city it seems. Many shops were opened. Bars were bustling with life. Naruto doubted Ibuki wanted to go to a place like that. She wasn't Teruteru.
Right?
"It's pretty simple." Stopping, Ibuki turned to face him while wagging her finger. "Ibuki is on the hunt for a new song! That's why she asked you out on this date tonight!"
Ah, so she wanted his help. That's what he figured this was about. Definitely not the same as Sonia.
Pfft, Kazuichi was an idiot for thinking otherwise.
"I don't think I can help you with that, Ibuki."
How did one become inspire to write music anyway? That's something else Naruto would never get. It just wasn't for him.
"Nonsense! Inspiration comes in all types and forms! Besides, Ibuki already has a lead!"
She did? Is that where they were going now?
Without another word, Ibuki suddenly grabbed his arm and started leading him down the street again. They passed through a couple more intersections before the girl finally stopped.
"Here we are!"
Naruto looked at the building in question.
"A bookshop?"
That's what it looked to him. He could see a whole arrangement of books through the window.
Ibuki looked disappointment. "It's not just a bookshop, Naruto-chan. They sell all sorts of stuff in here! But yes, we are on the hunt for a specific book."
"What book?"
"A romantic one!"
Okay, that still didn't answer his question. But romance?
"I didn't think you played songs like that."
Ibuki gasped. "How could you! Ibuki's songs are filled with raw emotion and passion! That includes love!"
They were? Since when? Usually, it just caused the others to pass out when they heard her music. Except for Hiyoko, who was still Ibuki's number one fan, funnily enough.
"I really don't see why you need me here then."
"You're part of the band, so of course you need to be here!"
But then, what about Hiyoko-?
The blond was unable to finish his train of thought as he was already being pulled inside the story by the energetic girl.
Now that he thought about it, this was his first date, wasn't it? It didn't really feel like it, though. But then again, how was a date supposed to feel like? He didn't have a reference for this kind of thing, and he and Sonia had yet to go on one themselves. But if what she said earlier today was true, then…..
'Not just her. Chiaki and Mikan too.'
He was still trying to wrap his head around that. He was probably going to have to ask Fuyuhiko for more advice, but maybe he also needed a girl's perspective on this? Then Peko could possibly help him out with that.
He could think more about that later. Right now, he still had to survive through tonight. He didn't mean that in a negative light either. Ibuki was just too unpredictable, and that was saying something since it was coming from him. There was no way he could guess how tonight was going to end.
"So you use books for inspiration?" Naruto asked as the two headed deeper into the shop. It had two floors, and Ibuki was leading him to the second floor. The blond could see a bunch of other stuff on display. Figurines, weird outfits, and even some game consoles. He only knew about the last one because of Chiaki. Honestly, that girl probably owned every single console in the world.
"Hmm? Not really, this is Ibuki's first time!" She suddenly stopped and turned to look at him with a grin. "That sounded dirty, didn't it?"
Why the heck was she asking him!?
"You gotta focus, Ibuki."
"Focus? That's my middle name!" Seriously? "But like I was saying, this is Ibuki's first time! Books are just too boring, you know? You always gotta sit still and do nothing. That's too boring! You gotta keep the body moving. It's the only way your mind will be inspired!"
Is that how it worked? Naruto doubted it. Ibuki was just a different kind of breed of human. Then again, it wasn't as though he knew of other musicians.
'Does Octopops count?'
He had rapped all the time, but he was also a ninja. Could there even be a musician ninja? Or a ninja musician?
'If Octopops could rap and be a ninja, I guess anything is possible.'
Hmm….Ibuki as a ninja….for some reason, that made Naruto shiver a little. Whether it was out of excitement or fear, he didn't know.
As they walked, Naruto noticed something else too.
"Man, this place is really packed."
There were a lot of people just standing about, reading books that caught their eye or just talking among themselves with the groups they were in.
Books were more popular than he would have guessed. He and Ibuki had that in common at least. Even if he had come to appreciate reading a bit more these past two months, it didn't mean he liked it very much. It was just a necessity.
The two teens soon found themselves in a more secluded part of the bookshop. In the very back of the second floor in fact. It looked as if Ibuki's hunt for this book had taken them to one of the least visited parts of the shop.
"This place was originally all about manga and web comics and all that junk, but just recently they added this section!" Ibuki explained to him as she searched through the bookshelf in front of them. "It was one of my favorite stops after school back in the old days. Hehehe, that makes Ibuki sound so old."
Well, that explained a lot. Naruto had a feeling the girl had been here before.
"So what are you looking for?"
"It's a new novel! It's called 'So Lingers the Ocean.' Mahiru-chan and Mikan-chan both recommended it to Ibuki, so there's no way she could say no!"
That was kind of funny. Mahiru and Mikan enjoyed romance novels? Naruto could see someone like Sonia being into them, but those two?
Cute.
"Are you really going to read it?"
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean, Naruto-chan!? Are you saying Ibuki can't read!?"
"I-It's not like that! You just said you don't like reading," Naruto tried to defend himself. "So you know, I'm just wondering if you're going to be able to sit through it."
"Hmm." Ibuki shrugged as she continued to look through the bookshelf. "If it's for music, there is nothing Ibuki won't do! My devotion is what makes me a fair maiden."
Pfft, okay Naruto was certain that wasn't how that worked.
"Besides, you should be worrying about yourself right now, Naruto-chan."
What?
Naruto looked at her, curious. She was still rummaging for the book, so it was hard to read her expression.
"What are you talking about, Ibuki?"
Was she going to go on another rant again?
"Don't you get it yet? You have to go ahead and choose me already."
Again, what?
"Um, what?"
She finally looked at him, her face bearing a rare serious expression. "Just because you're a ninja does not mean you cannot have fun, Naruto-chan. Tell me, were you in any clubs?"
Naruto scratched his cheek. "The ninja academy I attended didn't have any clubs like schools here." Or if it did, there was no way he would know. He had been excluded from everything back then.
Ibuki beamed. "Hyaaaaahhhh, that's excellent! That just means you have to join Ibuki's band full time now!"
"Wasn't I already?" That's what she kept saying all the time.
"Details, details. That hardly matters right now!"
Riiiiight.
"Besides, this is only a distraction Ibuki came up with on the spot! Although it is true that music clubs are reeeally popular with boys right now. We need to jump on that bandwagon too!"
She was speaking all over the place again…..but wait, what was that first part?
"A distraction? What are you trying to say, Ibuki?"
Because he really had no idea!
Smiling to herself, Ibuki answered, "Hehe, just trying to give you some advice for the future, Naruto-chan. It's something that's been on Ibuki's mind for a while. To always be careful with how you handle girls. It's easy for them to get the wrong idea when you're so nice all the time."
Them? Wasn't she a girl too?
More importantly, what brought this on?
"Of course, the opposite is also true! Since you're so nice, it's easy for girls to take advantage of you too. You always have to be on the look out for those troublemakers. That's Ibuki's advice of the day!"
Okay seriously, where had this come from?
Naruto shook his head. "What are you trying to get at?"
"Hmm, hmmmmm. I see. Naruto-chan is slow, after all. Then I guess it's up to Ibuki to show him! For example-!"
Naruto didn't know how it happened. He knew Ibuki was quick on her feet. Not as fast as him of course. But for this world, she was surprisingly swift. She probably had better reflexes than half of the class. But like he said, he was still faster than her. So he definitely could have stopped her. If her intentions had been to harm him, it wouldn't take much for him to move out of the way.
He didn't, though. Naruto was so caught off guard by her sudden seizing of his wrist that he could only raise an eyebrow when he found himself being pinned against the bookshelf. Ah, and there was also the sudden wave of embarrassment that washed over him. Ibuki didn't have Akane's…..erm, "assets" or her voluptuousness, but that didn't mean she didn't have any curves either. Not to mention that her body was still very soft too, something he could confirm very well as she pressed up against him. Nor did he miss her scent suddenly assaulting his senses now that they were so close to one another.
None of this helped his poor brain process this turn of events any better.
"Something like this, maybe."
What the hell!? Naruto saw that her cheeks were red too, but she still sounded too confident for his liking.
No, wait. He needed to stay focus here. Just what was the point of this?
And why the hell was she leaning up closer to his face!?
Just where was this night going to go?
I had a surprise lined up. I guess I gotta save it for next chapter.
Kazuichi is underrated. One of my biggest gripes with the second game was his lack of development in regards to Sonia. Even Akane, who gets lumped with him all the time as "underdeveloped," was able to get some development in the main story as she is able to accept her fear and overcome it instead of running from it. The Talent Development Mode for him in V3 was also still lacking that real finish in my mind. It's a missed opportunity. I shouldn't get carried away, though, as I feel like I wrote that scene a bit too clunky for my tastes. I just wanted to show off Kazuichi's progression, so hopefully it was enjoyable enough.
And then there's Naruto. His inability to grasp romantic cues is funny, and I admit that I rely on it as this story's main source of humor a lot of the time. But it's also to highlight his character's main tragedy that gets overlooked a lot of the time in favor of his abilities. And that is his poor social skills and inability to understand love. Or at least to differentiate love between friends and family from romantic or sexual love. I will flatly state that I don't really much care for NarutoxHinata, but even I was disappointed with "The Last." This disappointment mainly comes from Naruto's characterization. Like, all it took for him to understand Hinata's feelings was one flashback from a genjutsu? There should have been more. It's a disservice. Kishimoto had already done well in showing Naruto's problem in this area with Sakura, as he was able to at least recognize that his feelings for her weren't exactly what he thought they were. Of course, if he realized this as she was "confessing" to him or before that is unclear, but it was still pretty great in my opinion. I just think that more could have been done with NarutoxHinata in the movie.
That's why I think writing a romance story with canon Naruto is so interesting. He just doesn't get what romance is nor can he separate the love he has for his friends for the love he might have for that special someone. He also can't understand than someone might be interested in him as he sees the love someone might give him as purely friendship. It's frustrating and funny at the same time, depending on the situation.
Ibuki is still funny to write.
So yeah, I got mixed feelings about this chapter, mainly about the Kazuichi stuff. Well, let's see how it goes.
Till next time.
