Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.


Chapter 44:
Hidden Pain

Hajime had no idea how it was possible to be awake at this hour. This was, after all, a first for him.

Seriously, the sun wasn't even up yet! This was messing with his normally lazy routine that he had worked so hard to cultivate over the years. His mind and body were not used to this, and they were making their displeasure known with every step he took. A part of him was wondering if going back to bed was the better option than being up and about. There was no reason to try and put himself through all of this, right?

Wrong!

There was no way he was turning back. He might desire the comfort and softness of his bed, but regardless Hajime still made his way over to the park closest to Hope's Peak. He might be complaining a little due to a lack of sleep, but the truth of the matter was that he was also excited. And that excitement was stronger than any desire he might have to pass out.

It was 5 in the morning, and any other day he would still be in bed just waiting for his alarm clock to wake him up and set off for class.

Not today. Today he was wearing a blue tracksuit and doing his best to fight back his fatigue as he jogged to his destination. As excited as he was, Hajime was still a bit perplexed about this turn of events.

'How random. Are all Ultimates this abrupt?'

That thought ran through Hajime's mind several times, but he couldn't help it. Out of the blue, Naruto had called him up last night and told him to be up and ready by 5 AM and to head to the closest park in a tracksuit. If that wasn't random, then Hajime didn't know what was.

Just why had the blond invited him out here?

Hajime had no idea. He had a couple of guesses, though.

'Are we going to workout or something?'

That would explain the tracksuit and why they were meeting up at a park of all places. Hajime was just glad he already owned a tracksuit, or this might have been more of a hassle.

But still. Who started working out this early? Hajime once again lamented this fact for a bit. He really liked to sleep. That said, his curiosity still got the better of him. That, and as he said earlier he was pretty excited by the invitation. He appreciated Naruto's inclusivity. As he learned on Saturday, Naruto was a pretty cool guy, if not a bit odd. He was a bit funny looking too, but that was mostly because of his birthmarks. Just what were those lines on his cheeks anyway? Whiskers? Was he some kind of human cat?

That made Hajime chuckle a little as he pictured the rough looking blond meowing. The image was so wrong that it looped right back to being funny.

Hajime then shook his head as he left that thought for another time. Right now, he needed to focus.

It took him several minutes to jog to the park. This park was pretty big, and it even came with a jogging trail for the running enthusiasts. Naruto had told him they were meeting right at the "start" of this trail. The trail basically covered the perimeter of the park, which was a total distance of around 3 kilometers. Technically, you could start anywhere you wanted on the trail, but the trail still had an "official" starting point, with markers along the path to tell runners how far they had come. Hajime only knew this because he had visited the park once before. Not to workout or anything, but just for a simple stroll. He wasn't really an outdoors person, but at the same time he wasn't against enjoying a day outside either. It just depended on his mood.

It wasn't hard for Hajime to spot Naruto as he neared their meeting spot. The blond was already there in a tracksuit of his own, also blue. He was stretching, and to Hajime this confirmed his suspicions. That would have been fine, really. Starting your day off with a nice jog wasn't the worst thing in the world.

The problem was that Naruto wasn't alone. Right away Hajime noticed the two other figures with him. Once was another guy, only this one was really big. Like, monstrously so. He easily towered over Naruto by a large margin. Hajime was confident that he had never seen a guy this big before. Not that he was fat. It was the total opposite. It was like his entire body was just pure muscle. It was kind of overwhelming. His body and overall presence just screamed "loud." He was also wearing a blue tracksuit. How he found clothes to fit him Hajime didn't know, but that was neither here nor there.

The other figure was a girl. She was stretching right alongside Naruto. Unlike the three boys, she wore a red tracksuit. And despite being fully covered up, Hajime was still able to see just how large her "assets" were as they strained against her red jacket with every movement she made. Needless to say, she was also pretty big, but in a different way.

It wasn't just their appearance that caught Hajime off guard, though. Like Naruto, these two new individuals gave off a strong aura of their own. It was like their presence demanded attention, almost as if they were standing in a different plane of existence compared to most people in this world. It made him a bit uneasy and nervous. He had only felt this way once with Naruto, but he could tell it was the same feeling.

All in all, Hajime was able to tell that these weren't your average teenagers.

Were they also Ultimates? They had to be.

There was only one way to find out, and Hajime wasn't about to chicken out now.


"Ha, this is a funny sight." Nekomaru rubbed his chin as he let out a small chuckle, a rarity for him. His laughs were always loud, which fit his personality perfectly.

He was watching Naruto and Akane stretch before they started with their training for the week. As the Ultimate Team Manager, it was his duty to make sure the two were in top condition before embarking on their workout. He would never allow one of his athletes to go unprepared and potentially injure themselves under his watch. That would shame him forever.

"Owari's enthusiasm has been lacking recently, but today she was the first one to show up. How rare. You don't usually like it when we train."

She just liked to fight, plain and simple. That had slowly been changing over the past two months, but her lack of enthusiasm still showed every now and again.

Naruto paused mid stretch as he raised an eyebrow.

"Really? She's been slacking off? For shame, Akane. You'll never be able to surpass me if you don't put your mind to it."

The Ultimate Gymnast looked annoyed by this. "What? It's just been boring. Old man Nidai didn't want to fight me at all! How's that any fun? I also felt pretty weird without having you here since your arm was injured, so it's not my fault."

She felt weird? What the heck did that mean?

"Hmm, yes that is true." Nekomaru hummed in agreement as he recalled Akane's attitude in the past couple of weeks and even way before then when Naruto had gone off on his mission. "She must have felt lonely. She nearly dragged Hanamura to his death, you know. Not even doing it helped her. And she's usually so responsive to it too."

Naruto almost blushed as he remembered the first time he saw Nekomaru doing it to Akane. It was like something you'd see in a dirty novel. Akane was really expressive during those moments. So embarrassing. Not that he didn't understand. As embarrassing as it was, Nekomaru's fingers were just pure magic.

Best to not think about that.

"T'ch, you didn't have to put it like that." Was Akane blushing a little? How cute. "So what if I missed him? Is that a crime or something?"

So defensive. But also surprising. The old Akane would never have admitted to ever feeling lonely or missing someone. She had come a long way.

"Nah, I'm just touched." Naruto still had to tease her about it. "I didn't know you cared so much about me, Akane. Did you miss getting your ass kicked by me that much? I had no idea you liked losing. Are you turning into a masochist? Should we be worried?"

Akane's hands twitched as she growled at him. She really was like a beast sometimes. It was kind of funny.

Yes, only someone like Naruto would find a girl like Akane growling at him "funny." He was laid back like that.

"Just you watch. One of these days, I'm going to best you."

Naruto just grinned at her, always ready to accept her challenges. It was always great to see her get aggravated every time he beat her. It reminded him of the days when he trained with Jiraiya and how frustrated he got every time the old pervert beat him.

Okay, so maybe he was becoming a little sadistic too. Sue him!

It made Akane growl even harder before she turned away from him lest she jumped him right then and there. It was really hard to resist that urge given the fact that they hadn't fought in some weeks now.

Stupid blonds and their stupid cute grins.

"Well, we should still take it a bit easy," Nekomaru said as the two finished with their stretches. "Uzumaki has been out of it for a bit. It's best to ease back into our routine."

Naruto almost snorted at that. Nekomaru's definition of "easy" was anything but. Not that Naruto thought it was a bad thing. Far from it. The Ultimate Team Manager always seemed to know just how much he could handle and when to push him further. It made Naruto really appreciate the guy's presence. He was a natural born teacher. His title was not wasted on him.

"Aw man." Akane sulked at Nekomaru's suggestion. "How's that any fun? We have to push ourselves, don't we?"

"I don't mind you doing the usual, Owari. But Uzumaki just finished recovering. An athlete's body is like a temple. You cannot disturb it! UNDERSTAND!"

Akane's blank face was the response he got.

No, she did not understand.

Naruto chuckled as he spoke up. "I would usually side with Akane on this, but I'm afraid I'm going to be to have to second Nekomaru this time."

Akane turned to him with something akin to a pout. "What, why? I thought you were going to be excited too? Tsumiki kept you from doing anything fun for so long. Aren't you bored?"

In her mind, fun equaled fighting…..and Naruto sort of agreed with her. But not the point!

"I am. It's just that we have a new addition for today, and I don't think he'll be able to keep up with us if we go at our usual pace."

Akane was about to ask him what he was talking about but stopped when she noticed that someone was approaching them. The Ultimate Gymnast wasn't exactly the best when it came to picking up social cues, but even she was able to tell that this newcomer seemed to be hesitant as he slowly walked up to them. It made her confused, but she kept that to herself.

"Oh?" Nekomaru looked intrigued as he started to rub his chin again. His eyes were already inspecting their new addition closely. "What do we have here?"

Naruto grinned as he turned to face the newcomer. "Hajime, my dude! Glad to see you could make it! I was starting to worry I was going to have to haul you out here!"

Hajime sweatdropped at this as he stopped next to the grinning blond. "Now I'm glad I came out here. I don't think the others in the Reserve Course would have been able to handle that commotion."

Not at this hour.

Naruto laughed it off. "Ha, don't say that. It's a beautiful morning, so I'm sure they wouldn't have minded."

"The sun isn't even up yet."

"Ah." Naruto looked up at the dark sky and laughed again. "Man, you're right. I totally missed that!"

Hajime just sweatdropped again. He got the feeling that he was going to be doing that a lot around this guy.

"But really, I'm glad you're here. We can always use more people in our group." Naruto started to sulk somewhat as he poked his fingers together, almost like he was mimicking Mikan. "Peko-chan always turns me down. I was sure I would have broken her by now."

"Her training is far different than what you and Owari are doing in the mornings, so it makes sense. Besides, you practice with her in the afternoons, don't you. Why would you also want to make her join your hand-to-hand practices?" For once, Nekomaru was the voice of reason.

Naruto shrugged it off. "Anyway, welcome aboard, Hajime! We have a busy morning ahead of us!"

They did?

Hajime started to feel a bit nervous again. Okay, scratch that. Really nervous.

"Um, what exactly are we doing?"

"We'll get to that. For now, introduce yourself!"

Introduce himself?

"Huh?" Akane crossed her arms as she looked at Hajime. "Oh right. New dude. Who are you?"

Had she not noticed him earlier? Or was she just a scatterbrain?

But damn, when they all turned their attention on him, Hajime almost felt like disappearing. But there was no reason for him to feel so nervous, right? It didn't matter if they were Ultimates. These guys were his age too. He didn't have to be formal or anything.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Hajime's voice was soft but he did his best to make sure it was firm too. First impressions were important. "I'm Hinata Hajime."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Unfortunately, it wasn't firm enough for Nekomaru who instantly exploded as he pointed at Hajime. "What's with that tone! Your voice is far too soft! You need to put more emotion into it!"

"W-What?"

Naruto just shook his head. Yep, he should have seen this coming.

"I said, YOU NEED MORE EMOTION!"

Hajime looked like he was a deer caught in headlights, and it showed. But despite that, he still responded back.

"U-Um, I'm Hinata Hajime…!"

"NO! YOU CAN BE LOUDER THAN THAT! DO IT AGAIN!"

Hajime's back straightened as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm Hinata Hajime! Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

So formal!

"HA, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Smirking, Nekomaru clenched his fists in elation. "I AM NIDAI NEKOMARU, THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER! Never forget it, even if you go to hell!"

Why would he be going to hell!?

Hajime was right about him, though. This guy was overbearing, no question about it.

"Alright!" Akane seemed to share in Nekomaru's excitement as she smacked her palm with her fist. "I'm Owari Akane. Nice meeting you, Hank!"

Who the hell was Hank?

Hajime looked at her with confusion. "I-I'm not Hank….."

He just told her his name, hadn't he?

"Oh, right." Despite her mistake, Akane still beamed at him. "Sorry about that. I'm not good with the names of people who don't interest me."

Ouch. How harsh was that?

Naruto felt like smacking her. "Why would you put it like that, Akane?"

"What?" Akane shrugged, not feeling remorseful in the slightest. "It's not my fault. I don't deal with anyone who doesn't have any fighting power, you know? And this guy looks like a two. Totally trash."

Despite her harsh words, Hajime still felt like sweatdropping again. Just what kind of ranking system did this girl have?

"Hmm, I don't know about that," Nekomaru said, cutting into the conversation. "He might not have much strength now, but he does have potential."

Potential? What was he talking about?

Hajime felt like a piece of meat as Nekomaru turned to him, his sharp eyes studying everything about him.

"Hinata, was it? Lend me your body."

Wait, what!?

Hajime was going to politely reject the asinine request, but he was too slow as Nekomaru quickly descended upon him. He was not able to escape from Nekomaru's grasp until after the Ultimate Team Manager felt him all over his body.

"W-W-What the heck is this all about?"

He hadn't come out here to be assaulted like this!

Naruto had an idea, but he kept quiet as he was interested to see how this played out.

Nekomaru seemed pleased as he stepped back. "Hm, it's just as I thought. I knew my eyes were not wrong!"

Wrong about what?

"You will most certainly become an incredible athlete if you train hard enough."

Seriously!?

Hajime didn't know what to say to that. It was one of the best compliments he had ever received if he was being honest.

"Are you serious?" Akane didn't buy it. "This guy looks totally weak. Like he's not eating enough. It makes me feel sorry for him."

Hajime felt offended. He was at a healthy weight, thank you very much!

"I'm never wrong, Owari." Nekomaru was convinced of his analysis. "I was able to feel it. You were born with good born structure, Hinata. As long as you set your mind to it, you can go anywhere. Of course, we'll need to change your diet and bulk up your muscle mass….."

"W-Wait!" Hajime had to cut him off here. Everything was just happening so fast! "I just met you guys, and I don't even know what I'm here for! And now you're talking about me becoming some kind of athlete?"

This was strange, wasn't it? Hajime wasn't going insane or anything, right?

Naruto shrugged and responded, "Well, I called you out here to have you train with us for today. To get to know you better and have you learn some fighting techniques if you were interested. There's no better way to get to know someone than with your fists!"

"Hell yes!" Akane agreed with that sentiment one hundred percent!

Considering what the blond had done to those three hoodlums on Saturday, Hajime wanted no part of that!

"But now, I'm more curious about what Nekomaru is saying." Unlike the Ultimate Team Manager, Naruto had no true skill in assessing another's physical potential. Sure, he could make guesses based on what his gut told him, but it was a far cry compared to what Nekomaru was capable of. It just wasn't as precise. "I'm willing to take his word for it. He's amazing like that."

Nekomaru laughed at this. "Gahahahaha! You flatter me, Uzumaki! You always know what to say to put me in a good mood. Come, to show my gratitude, I'll do it to you today!"

"Woah, easy now. Let's not get carried away."

Naruto was already backing away from him.

"But that could totally work!" Akane exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Once old man Nidai is done with you, you'll totally be able to fight me at your best!"

And fighting Naruto in top form was something Akane was always up for!

"I appreciate that, but….."

But he didn't want to!

Hajime just stood back and watched this mess unfold. He couldn't help but start to laugh when Naruto tried to make a break for it with Nekomaru and Akane hot on his heels.

Oh yeah, these two were just as weird and outgoing as the blond was.

And Hajime loved it.

This week was already shaping out to be very different for him, and he was not complaining.


Monday mornings.

They were always a pain. They were the farthest thing from adorbs in Kotoko's mind. She hated them almost as much as she hated unpeeled chestnuts. Gah, just thinking about those chestnuts was more than enough to put her in a bad mood. Not that she wasn't already. It didn't help that Monday mornings meant that she would have to be stuck in school for yet another week, which made her all the more angry. It was just so annoying. Mainly because she had to be put in the so-called "troublemakers" class.

How Kotoko loathed such a title. The others did too, but they were stuck with it. They were just kids, after all. It was the adults that made the rules, and as kids they had no choice but to obey.

Of course, as annoying as school could be, Kotoko did find some comfort in it as of late. She had been able to meet Monaca and the others, after all. It was almost as if there was a sense of understanding among them. It was hard to explain. In a weird way, Kotoko felt like she had found her place "to be," if that made any sense. If that wasn't enough, she had also been able to find Naruto. It sucked that she couldn't see him every day, but just the chance of seeing him was enough to give her hope. Especially after the weekend she had just endured.

She didn't dwell on that particular subject. She couldn't. Not if she wanted to break down again.

'Should I even go to class today?'

Kotoko asked herself this question for the third time this morning as she stared at her reflection in the mirror in her room. She was dressed in her usual uniform, ready to set out. A part of her was considering just sneaking out and seeing if Naruto would be willing to hang out with her today. She was sure Monaca would disapprove, but that was nothing new. Kotoko didn't know why, but recently she felt like as if the green haired girl was trying to understand why she liked Naruto so much. It didn't make much sense since even the boys enjoyed Naruto's presence. There was nothing weird about her wanting to spend more time with him, right?

Did Monaca dislike Naruto? Kotoko didn't know, but she also didn't care all that much. She didn't particularly like Monaca all that much if she was being honest, but she still acted like she did. It was easy to fake. She had a lifetime experience of it.

Or was the act becoming real?

Another thing Kotoko didn't dwell on. Really, she didn't dwell on a lot of things. It just wouldn't be adorbs of her. A shining star had to have her eyes set on the future. That's what her mother always told her. The present only existed to serve that future. If she didn't take advantage of the here and now, then she would never shine.

Kotoko knew the answer Monaca was seeking of course. Her reason for liking Naruto so much was silly and very much childish, but because of the world she lived in she liked childish and silly things. They made her feel like a normal kid.

It had to do with how they had met. The way Naruto had just swooped in and saved her and the others from those bullies, it was totally stereotypical. It was the kind of setup authors would see in their cheap stories when they needed to make their main character look awesome and heroic but were too lazy to come up with a different method. It was so overdone these days, it just wasn't unique.

But that's why Kotoko loved it so much. She had grown up reading all kinds of stories about heroes and their deeds, about the princess who needed rescuing. Kotoko didn't much care for the princess aspect. Deep down, she was okay with being normal and not anyone "special." But the rescuing part….that appealed to her greatly.

These heroes were always there to save the day. This extended to romance stories too. Romance was just totally adorbs, you know. She often dreamt of meeting a real-life prince/hero, as stereotypical as it was. Someone who could sweep in like a knight in shining armor. Someone who was there just for her. In that sense, Kotoko wouldn't mind being special for once.

That's why Kotoko felt so attached to the blond. He was like an embodiment of that stereotype, which she loved very much. It was like her fantasy was coming to life, offering her a form of escape even if it was for just a moment. He might be older than her, but she felt like she could trust him nonetheless. There was just that warm aura that always seemed to be surrounding him, always comforting her. He wasn't trying to deceive her, and that reassurance made her feel all the more safe around him.

Kotoko couldn't get enough of that. It was like she was being washed clean from all the filth in her life.

If only there was a more permanent solution.

'No, don't think like that.'

She was just being selfish. Kotoko knew this. She had to endure, because if she didn't then her mother would suffer. That was the one thing Kotoko couldn't do. She could never make her mother cry.

That didn't mean she wasn't also in pain.

Sighing, she again stared at her reflection. The usual cheeky smile she wore was gone, with no trace of it coming back anytime soon. It was almost as if it didn't exist.

Trying to face the others like this….she just didn't have the energy for it.

Hmm.

Maybe sneaking out of class was for the best then?


"I think we should sneak out today!"

Nagisa felt like ignoring Masaru completely as he tried to head into the elementary school building and start the day. Unfortunately for him, it was not that simple as he found Jataro blocking his path too.

Was this supposed to be an ambush?

"You're not getting away!" Masaru gave him a toothy grin as he stood before him. "There's no reason for us to go to class today."

How was he qualified to say that?

"We can't just skip class," Nagisa argued. It really was too early to be getting into this. He didn't have much patience for Masaru's usual antics "It's this kind of behavior that landed you in the troublemakers class in the first place, Masaru."

Deep down, Nagisa knew that wasn't it, but he ignored it.

Masaru ignored it too as he waved him off. "Don't be like that, Nagisa! That stupid teacher never does anything anyway. Just tells us to study among ourselves. What are we even supposed to study? He's an idiot I tell you."

Nagisa felt like Masaru was the last person that should be saying that about literally anyone else.

"I think that's totally my fault, you guys." Jataro seemed down as he said this, but sometimes it was hard to tell with him. That damn mask of his wasn't there just for show. It made it impossible to read his facial expressions sometimes. It was only because of his eyes that Nagisa was ever able to gleam anything from the boy. "I bet he totally hates my guts, and that's why he ignores us. But I think that's also okay. It's not like I'm worth it anyway, but maybe he's also taking it out on you guys. Not that I would know anything about that."

"Then don't say anything!" Masaru shushed him before focusing back on Nagisa. "I think we should go see if Naruto wants to play!"

Nagisa's eyebrow rose at this. Masaru's tune had done a one eighty in regards to Naruto as of late. Of course, Nagisa was sure that Masaru had just been putting up a front before. Seeing how much the blond "could kick ass," as Masaru had so eloquently put it, like some real life superhero had made him start to open up to the blond. Still, for him to so quickly change his tune like this and be so open about it…..

'He's more honest than I am.'

Truth be told, he shared in Masaru's enthusiasm when it came to the blond, as annoying as it was. No, perhaps "annoying" wasn't the right word. More like scary. It was scary for Nagisa. To think that he was enjoying the presence of someone older, someone who wasn't a kid. It genuinely terrified him.

There was no denying it, though. Nagisa always felt safe when Naruto was around. He might be somewhat dumb like Masaru, but that didn't stop him from being very nice. It was like Nagisa was being surrounded by a warm feeling, something that he had never been afforded in his life. It made him gravitate to the goofy blond.

Was this how a parent's love should feel? Nagisa didn't know. He didn't have anything to compare it to.

As usual, he just shook that thought away. His parents loved him. He was sure of it. He didn't need to be questioning that.

"I think Naruto hates me, though," Jataro said with a wave of depression washing over him. "Like, he really hates me. He doesn't pick on me, and he even wants me to take my mask off. How terrible is that? Does he not know I'm doing it for his protection? He doesn't get it, no matter how many times I explain it to him. I don't want to see his eyeballs go flying off if he sees how ugly I am. I'm sure he doesn't want me around because I don't listen. Even though I'm such a cheerful kid. Or maybe I just don't know what cheerful means? Have I been using it wrong this entire time? That would soil my good image, wouldn't it? To think that my vocabulary would be this dull. Ah, that sounds terrible. That's probably why Naruto hates me, isn't it? Then I apologize. I really am sorry. From the bottom of my heart."

Nagisa grimaced at Jataro's rant. The masked boy was always doing that. It was getting easier to ignore him, but it was still somewhat annoying.

"Man, you guys are boring." Masaru huffed as he crossed his arms. "This is why I said we should have a leader. That way all decisions can be made easily."

Just what a kid would say.

"We're not some secret organization, you know."

"And if we were, I'm pretty sure no one would want me to be in it," Jataro added with a wistful sigh.

"Don't say that, Jataro. I'm sure plenty of people would accept you into their club."

Nagisa almost paled at the sound of Monaca's voice. A second later the sound of her wheelchair coming up from behind him reached his ears.

Crap, was she going to think that they were planning on doing something behind her back? Nagisa didn't want that!

"Ah, Monaca!" Masaru waved her over. "I was going to ambush you too. Too bad Nagisa showed up before you did. With you on our side, he would have agreed to anything!"

Nagisa glared at him. "And what is that supposed to mean, huh!?"

This annoying little…..the last thing Nagisa needed was for Monaca to realize that he had feelings for her!

"You know what it means!" Masaru wasn't backing down. "You toooootally like Monaca."

"S-She's my friend, so o-of course I do!"

Oh god, Nagisa was sure his face was beet red right about now.

"Now, now." Giggling, Monaca stopped in between them. "There's no reason to be arguing so early in the morning. We don't want unwanted attention, do we?"

Masaru snorted. "Like I care about that! No one can stop me! I'd rather be doing something fun that be stuck in that classroom."

"Really now?" Monaca folded her arms neatly on her lap. "Are you thinking of sneaking out again, Masaru?"

"Yeah! Naruto invited us to help him with the school festival, remember? That sounds like a lot more fun than being here."

"Should we really go uninvited?" Jataro wondered as he looked up absentmindedly. "I don't think he would appreciate it if he didn't know. Ah, but adults do say that some things are better left unknown, but is that really true? I would think that knowing as much as possible is better than the alternative. Ah, but again, I suppose it's better for mister piggy to not know that he's going to become bacon. Because, even if he does know, he's still going to become bacon! Letting him know would just be an extra punishment. So does that mean we shouldn't let Naruto know? I don't really get it."

How novel. Jataro confusing himself. He had just reached another level of stupidity.

Nagisa was still against it. "Look, I don't think we should be making our situation even worse than it already is."

"But you came with us the last time!" Masaru fired back.

"That's because it was different! The teacher wasn't there anymore, and we knew he wouldn't be showing up again! Leaving in the morning without even attending is just…."

It was so undignified. That, and Nagisa didn't want to get in trouble with his father. His father had placed his hopes on him, and Nagisa wanted to live up to those exceptions. Cutting class would go against that.

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that," Monaca said as she raised her arms in excitement. "I actually already took care of it."

The three boys looked at her, obviously surprised.

"You…..took care of it?" Nagisa said, looking unsure.

What had Monaca done?

Humming, she placed a finger under her lips, looking deep in thought. "Well, I am curious too, you know. About this festival. Did you know that Hope's Peak Academy doesn't do stuff like that? This is going to be a first. I also want to see what Naruto wants us to do. We are just kids. What help could we possibly offer him?"

He had made a comment about that during the picnic last week. As part of the elementary school division, they weren't taken into account in stuff like this. Or in most matters when it came to the main school honestly. So they were free to do as they pleased. Helping out a class wouldn't be against the rules…..probably.

"Ha!" Laughing, Masaru posed like he had just won a triumphant battle. "Don't say stuff like that, Monaca! I'm sure Naruto just realizes how cool we are! It's about time if you ask me."

"I'm cool too?" Jataro tilted his head. "But that can't be. No one's ever called me cool before. They're always looking down on me. Not that I don't deserve it. But….."

Nagisa didn't care about that. He was still focused on what Monaca had said.

"How exactly did you take care of it?"

He wanted to know.

"Oh, I just sent a note in advance." Monaca began cheering, almost to the point of jumping up and down in her wheelchair. "I told the teacher we had food poisoning and that we wouldn't be able to come in today. That's why I said we shouldn't cause a commotion. We might get spotted."

Hmm. That plan might actually work. As uncaring as their teacher was, he wouldn't check up on Monaca's claim to see if it was true or not. They might be considered Li'l Ultimates, but they weren't "true" Ultimates yet. So they weren't seen as valuable as the students from the high school division. That, and they were placed in the troublemakers class. Most of the staff wanted nothing to do with them. Sometimes, Nagisa was amazed that they hadn't been kicked out yet. But that might have to do with the influence of their parents. That, and as much of a pain as the staff thought them to be, they did possess invaluable skills that the school might be interested in the future. Losing valuable talent would go against the whole purpose of the school.

"Oh man, that's so awesome!" Masaru was already on board with the idea. "You're so smart, Monaca!"

"Right, right?" Jataro was also cheering. "If only I could be half as smart as her. Then I'm sure I wouldn't be so confused all the time."

Giggling, Monaca glanced at Nagisa. "So what do you say, Nagisa? Are you coming with us?"

Well, crap. What choice did he have now?

"I suppose I have to," Nagisa replied, sighing. "If I don't, there's no telling what kind of problems you guys would get into."

He was sort of like their babysitter, after all.

"We should still wait for Kotoko. It wouldn't do us any good if she showed up to class and the teacher started asking questions."

Although Nagisa doubted the man would even bother to show up today, not after getting Monaca's letter.

"I don't think you have to worry about that."

Something about the way Monaca said that made Nagisa a bit uneasy, but he didn't think about it too much. Masaru and Jataro were right. Monaca was smart. He was sure she already had a way of contacting Kotoko and getting her to meet with them by the main school building.

Now there was just the problem of trying to sneak inside. Again.

Time to begin their mission!


"I object to this."

"I heard you the first twenty times."

"I'm just saying. This is assault. If you were a cute girl, then I wouldn't mind. I would be open to some bondage play then."

"I didn't need to know that."

"Besides, I have an appointment to keep. I just got back from a long mission, and I want to see if I can finally have sex with this hot princess. Or maybe with one of her friends. Or all of them at the same time."

"I really didn't need to know that."

"But hey, you're the student council president, right? I'm sure you have all kinds of juicy information about the female students that go here. Mind sharing some of that info?"

"Stop talking."

"Need I remind you that you're the one who has me tied up? How did you even find me anyway?"

"I'm the Ultimate Student Council President for a reason. I know about every Ultimate that goes here. Also, we're in the same class."

"We are?"

"You'd know if you'd bothered to show up."

"The classroom is always empty. I wasn't going to waste my time there. Not when I could be having sex."

"Is that all you think about?"

"Is there anything else that matters?"

"I shouldn't have asked…."

Yasuke looked ready to commit murder as he stood in the doorway of his lab. Could anyone blame him? Probably not, seeing as his personal space was currently being invaded.

Is this how Jun felt? Yasuke might have to apologize to him later.

"What are you two doing in here?" He didn't bother to hide his contempt as he stared at the two nuisances before him. Yasuke didn't recognize either of them, but that was to be expected.

He didn't really about any other student at this school. He idly noted that one of them was tied up. He just hoped this wasn't some kind of perverted play.

"Welcome, Matsuda Yasuke-kun." The one who wasn't tied up addressed him with a wide smile as he placed a hand on his hips. "We've been waiting for you."

"Oh, so this is the guy I heard so much about. Real popular with the girls from what I hear. Ah, wait a second. Are you the one who's interfering with my plan to take over the school and build a harem? That's gotta be it! I should have seen it sooner!"

Yasuke didn't bother to make sense of whatever the tied up pervert was saying. It had nothing to do with him. No, he had his focus solely on the other nuisance.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

Or better yet, how did they get in? Yasuke was sure he had locked the door. He always did.

"I've been looking for you. Good thing I have access to most areas in the school. Comes with the position. But we should start with introductions, right? My name is Murasame Sōshun. I'm the Ultimate Student Council President. This over here is Kamishiro Yūto. He's the Ultimate Spy. We're both from class 77, just like you."

"Hey now." Yūto looked a bit annoyed. "Giving out my title just like that. That's rude. Secrecy is part of my trade."

"Don't worry about it. Matsuda-kun isn't an enemy. It won't interfere with your work."

"Well, I'm easily forgettable, so it's not like it matters anyway."

Wow. One second he was annoyed, the next he was back to being indifferent. If Yasuke cared even the slightest bit, he might have been impressed.

"That's interesting and all, but you haven't answered my question."

"Right, where are my manners?" Despite Yasuke's hostile attitude, Sōshun was still all smiles. "I must apologize. This is just the most excited I've felt since I was first accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. Things are just progressing so smoothly."

This guy.

Trying to hold back his annoyance as much as he could, Yasuke ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Get to the point."

"Of course, my apologies." Sōshun offered him a small bow in compensation. "I've decided to take it upon myself to bring our class together, you see. It is my hope that you will participate in the upcoming school festival with us."

So that's what this was all about? Yasuke suddenly felt like punching a certain blond.

"School festival?" Yūto wiggled his way up to a sitting position. This wasn't the first time he had been tied up like this, and it probably wouldn't be the last. "I've been hearing some rumors about that since I got back, but I thought it was nonsense. Hope's Peak is really having a school festival?"

"Indeed." Sōshun felt a rush of pride as he said, "It is something that I have put together with the help of another student. We hope this will bring the school closer together."

Yūto didn't know what to say to that. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that there was actually going to be a school festival.

Who could have predicted this?

"I'm not interested." Yasuke shot the idea down right away. "You can't bribe me with this so-called prize of yours either. I already have everything I need."

The current Ultimate Student Council President frowned. "I'm not trying to use the prize as leverage….."

"Oh right, you're only using it against the Reserve Course." Yasuke's face was sort of apathetic, but it was obvious he was sneering at Sōshun from inside his mind. "Can't say I blame you. Most people in this world are like sheep. Those in the Reserve Course are just drawn to the brand of this school, even willing to pay exuberant amounts of money. They want to get as close to the talented as they can. No doubt they're seeing this school festival as a way to close the gap even more. I'm sure you're making real good use of their gullibility. In that sense, I can praise your efforts."

There was no doubt that he thought very little of the Reserve Course.

This was not how Sōshun had planned for this conversation to go. But really, he was the one to blame for that. This was the first time he was even having a proper conversation with the Ultimate Neurologist. As much as Sōshun had claimed to oppose the current system in place, he had been a participant of it too, only choosing to act after someone had made a move against it, even if indirectly.

It was embarrassing. And shameful.

"I won't deny that there's some truth to what you're saying." Although Sōshun doubted Naruto saw things in a similar light. "However, my motives are to break this rut we find ourselves in. I think this school is due for a positive change. Don't you agree with that?"

Yasuke shrugged, looking indifferent. "Not really. Like I said, I have all I need. I have no desire to get involved in any other nonsense."

"Man, you're a downer." Yūto sighed. "I can't believe someone like you is my rival. What is this world coming to?"

Yasuke turned his gaze on the spy. "Are you saying you're interested in this nonsense?"

Yūto shrugged. Or he tried to at least. Kind of hard to do when you were tied up.

"I don't know. Never really thought about it. It sounds interesting at least. I guess trying to get closer to the other classes wouldn't be so bad. Especially the girls from 77-A. Man, they're all tens I'm telling you. I need to break into that holy land as soon as possible."

Yeah, this guy was hopeless. He might have an innocent face, but his personality was the worst. It was hard for Yasuke to believe that he had to share the title of Ultimate with a guy like this.

The world had a sick sense of humor sometimes.

Although grateful for Yūto's interest in the school festival, Sōshun still sighed in disappointment. Why did the Ultimate Spy have to be so twisted?

But back to the matter at hand.

"Matsuda-kun, it's not like I can force you to participate. I just hope your opinion on the matter will change. Our class will start to meet up regularly, so you're welcomed to join us any time. Having everyone together would be for the best. Although since I'm part of the student council, I won't be offering any direct assistance. Just overseeing our progress."

It was the same for the rest of the student council and their classes. It wouldn't be fair for the organizers and judges to be a part of the competition, after all.

Yasuke didn't answer him. He just stepped aside as Sōshun bowed again before leaving the lab with the tied up Yūto in tow.

He only had one thought on the matter.

'How stupid.'

And again, Yasuke knew that an annoying blond was to blame for all of this.


Sato was not having fun right now.

"Look, if something is wrong, you know you can tell me."

Of all the times to be ambushed, why did it have to be so early in the morning?

"You don't have to worry, Mahiru. There's nothing wrong." Sato did her best to give her friend a smile, but she knew the redhead wasn't buying it. Not this time.

The two girls found themselves in one of the beautiful fountain areas of the school. Only right now Sato didn't find it to be all that beautiful. Not when Mahiru was looking at her with such worry.

Damn Nagito. Why did have to make everything so complicated? Naruto too. The both of them were making Sato's life really miserable right now.

"If this is about the school festival, I can talk to Naruto." Mahiru of course was still pressing the issue. How could she not? "If you don't want to help, then you don't have to."

"NO!" Sato almost lunged at Mahiru. She was rather surprised that she had raised her voice, but that couldn't be helped. "Really, you don't have to do that. In fact, you can tell him I'll be happy to help in any way I can. No matter what, I'll do my best."

God, just saying those words brought great pain to her. Sato didn't have a choice, though. Not after what had happened last week.


"I suppose this is a good place as any. We won't be interrupted here."

Sato was fidgeting as she stood before Nagito in the same fountain area she and Mahiru often frequented. It was always a comforting place for her. But right now, it was the opposite of comforting.

How fast things could change.

"I can't stay for long. I have a picnic to attend, you see."

Saying that while smiling so freely….it made Sato sick to her stomach.

"W-We don't have to talk now then. I-If you're so busy."

Anything to get her away from him.

"Oh, don't worry. This won't take long." Crossing his arms, Nagito sighed. "It's not like you can refuse me anyway. If you try to break your part of the bargain, then I'll just tell Koizumi-san just how much you dislike Uzumaki-kun."

But of course he was going to be playing that card. Why wouldn't he? It's all he needed.

Sato gripped the helm of her skirt tightly. She was sure her knuckles were turning white from all the force she was exerting.

This bastard. He really had been watching her all this time.

"D-Don't you dare. If you did that….."

Sato didn't want to think about the pain Mahiru would go through.

"As I said, you only have yourself to blame for this." Nagito paid her troubles no mind. To him, she was nothing.

He was only going out of his way to address her because of the trust Naruto had put in her, as undeserving as it was. "Of course, I would also feel terrible for Koizumi-san. That such a boring and insignificant person such as yourself could be capable of causing her so much pain. It's frankly disgusting. She would surely be torn apart. She cares a lot about Uzumaki-kun, you see."

Sato knew that all too well. She knew that if she made her dislike towards the blond known, Mahiru would start to feel like she had to choose between her and Naruto. That choice would destroy her.

It was the last thing Sato wanted to see happen, and now Nagito was using that against her.

Damn him.

"You should feel lucky, you know." It was like he was reading her mind as he explained, "I don't think I'm asking too much from you. I'm well aware that you have no talent, but despite that Uzumaki-kun has chosen to trust you. All you have to do is follow his instructions. Then both Uzumaki-kun and Koizumi-san will come out of this happy. Isn't that better for everybody?"

He didn't need to keep repeating himself.

"I-I told you, I got it. I-I'll make sure to d-do what's expected of me."

She was stuttering so much, it made her even more angry. She couldn't help it, though. She was so frustrated, her emotions were getting the better of her. That, and she wanted to get as far away from here as humanly possible. She couldn't stand to see Nagito's face right now.

"That's right, even a lowly Reserve Course student should be capable of that." Nagito smiled at her. "Just know that I'll be watching you more closely from now on. As soon as you try to cause problems, your shameful truth will be exposed."

She knew that dammit!

Despite herself, Sato still glared at him. She was close to crying, but she still held the tears in. The last thing she wanted was to give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You say you care about M-Mahiru, but you're still willing to make her sad. A-And for what? To prove some stupid point?"

"Stupid?" Nagito let out a troubled sigh as he looked down. "So you don't get it. I would blame myself, but I think the fault lies with you. Expecting you to understand would be asking too much. You don't understand how important Uzumaki-kun and Koizumi-san are. Honestly, you just don't know your place, do you."

Sato didn't know about Naruto, but she knew the importance of Mahiru well enough.

"Don't say that! I've known her far longer than you! She was the light of our club back in our old school! She represented all of us!"

"Represented you?" Nagito looked repulsed by this. "How arrogant can you be? Koizumi-san represents hope. Not you. She is one of the chosen. She is far out of your reach. She will help Uzumaki-kun bring about the ultimate hope that is needed in this world. And yet, here you stand, trying to get in the way of that while arrogantly claiming that you're close to her. It's a shame really. You're nothing but a stepladder. Someone whose existence is only measured by the support she can give to the chosen. But instead of being content with that, you're trying to rise above your station. It's unforgivable."

Was he getting angry? In the back of her mind, Sato knew that trying to antagonize Nagito wasn't a good idea. Right now, he held all the cards. But still. She couldn't let things end this way!

"I-Is Uzumaki that much of a bastard too? Is that why he's gotten close to Mahiru? Just to use her for his ambition?"

That thought terrified her. Naruto already held great influence over Mahiru. If he was planning on exploiting that…..

"It's just as I thought. You really understand nothing." Nagito wore a tired expression as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Trying to explain it to you would be pointless. It's not like you can do anything anyway. I hadn't planned on this originally, but I suppose it'll be for Uzumaki-kun's benefit too. He's the hope I've been searching for, but he's still not complete. This will be an interesting wager. Not that I expect to win. Not against his talent."

What the hell was this guy even talking about!?

Nagito didn't bother to elaborate, however, as he turned away from her. He was already done with her.

"Remember what I said, Sato-san. For your sake."

Sato could only glare at his retreating back, unable to say anything else to him.


Even now, Sato felt sick thinking about that moment. She was doing exactly as Nagito wanted, but the problem was that she had no idea how she could get out of this mess. Every time she thought about it, her head started to spin.

It was impossible.

As for Mahiru, she bit her lip, looking unsure. Something was wrong here, but Sato wasn't telling her anything. Was she just imagining things? Should she still press the issue?

But…..she said she wanted to help, and Mahiru wanted to help Naruto as much as possible too.

What was the right answer here?

Mahiru tried to choose her words carefully.

"Well…..if you want to help, then I guess that's fine…."

Sato didn't, but she couldn't come out and say that.

"Look, I-"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as a third voice suddenly cut into their conversation.

"Koizumi, is that you?"

Sato went as stiff as a board. She recognized the voice immediately.

Fuyuhiko.

Just what she needed! The other person in the school who terrified her. Why was she so unlucky? Was the world out to get her or something?

"Oh, Kuzuryu." Mahiru's face relaxed when she saw the Ultimate Yakuza. She waved to him as he approached her and Sato. "Good morning. Fancy seeing you here."

He didn't stay in the dorms, so he rarely came by this way.

"Morning. I was just trying to get some fresh air. Things are going to get complicated when homeroom starts."

Uh, what?

Mahiru looked curious. "What are you talking about?"

Fuyuhiko grimaced before shaking his head. "Never mind that. You'll see later." He then glanced over to Sato who was doing her best to look at literally anything else but him. "Who's this?"

"She's hung out with us before, you know."

"I never noticed."

Should Sato feel offended by that?

"Jeez. You're so insensitive sometimes." Despite her words, the redhead still gestured to Sato who was already fidgeting. "Let me introduce you then. This is my best friend, Sato. She's from the Reserve Course. We went to the same school together before coming to Hope's Peak."

"That so?" Fuyuhiko smirked. "The Reserve Course, huh. Is someone named Natsumi giving you problems? She's always been weird, so don't let her get to you if she is."

Sato froze again at the mention of Natsumi. Did Fuyuhiko know how much of a pain his sister was toward her and Mahiru? Had Mahiru told him?

Mahiru on the other hand glared at the yakuza heir.

"Sheesh, talking about your sister like that. That's just rude!"

Fuyuhiko snorted. "I'm just being honest. Even I don't know what she's thinking sometimes."

Mahiru's face softened when she heard this. "Maybe you should try harder. She might appreciate it."

"I guess that's true. That reminds me, she's real deep into photography. Maybe you can help me understand that junk better sometime. I might be able to give her better feedback when she asks for it."

"O-Oh." Mahiru was not expecting the sudden request. "She asks you about the pictures she takes?"

"Hm? Yeah. Sometimes. It's a real pain in the ass, especially when I don't know what to say to her."

Mahiru didn't like the sound of that. "Jeez, then think harder. This is the problem with you boys. You almost never try. But don't give her any empty remarks either. Like 'it's awesome' or 'how cool.' That doesn't mean much to us."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it."

Did he really?

"Anyway, I should be heading to the classroom. That damn teacher might come looking for us if we're late. See you there, Koizumi. It was nice meeting you, Sato."

Sato was unable to return the goodbye, but Fuyuhiko didn't seem to mind as he walked off in the direction of the main school building.

Mahiru sighed as she watched him go. "That guy. He's just like Naruto sometimes. Such an idiot."

She said that, but Sato still heard the softness with which she said it. There was no doubt that Mahiru considered Fuyuhiko a friend. This never would have been the case a couple of months ago.

Time had a way of changing things it seems. It was frankly quite scary.

"He's not as intense as I imagined," Sato muttered, looking at where Fuyuhiko had stood just moments prior. This was the first time she had ever spoken to him directly. Before, she had always gone out of her way to avoid him. It explained why he didn't recognize her. That, and she wasn't an Ultimate. She probably didn't register in his radar.

"You should see him when he's around Naruto and Soda then," Mahiru said with a shake of her head. "Those three are always causing problems. Tanaka, Nidai, and Hanamura too. It's a good thing Togami and Komaeda are more relaxed."

Sato was just barely able to stop herself from flinching at hearing Nagito's name.

"I should go too. Our new teacher doesn't like it when we're late." Mahiru gave her friend one final look as she took her hand with hers. "If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here for you, okay?"

Sato just nodded, grateful to be able to call Mahiru her friend.

Smiling, Mahiru soon followed after Fuyuhiko, leaving Sato behind.

It was lonely and painful, especially as Sato turned toward the Reserve Course building in the distance. Right now, it looked so oppressive to her. The whole school did. It was starting to become a prison of sorts. She had only come to Hope's Peak to follow Mahiru in her journey. It would be from afar, but she would still be able to walk side-by-side with her best friend. She never imagined things getting so complicated. Sato had always hoped that things would remain the same between them. Now, everything was out of order, and Sato didn't know what to think anymore.

But she would suffer in silence, for Mahiru's sake.


Chiaki blinked several times as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing right now. Right there, on the bench before her, was the defeated form of her new friend.

Hajime looked positively paled as he lied down on the bench like a worn out tortilla that was trying to rejuvenate itself under the sun.

Wait, did that analogy make sense? Chiaki didn't know, but she was going with it.

"You look tired."

Hajime couldn't even be bothered to nod in agreement as he sat up.

"Uzumaki. He's an animal. The other two were the same. Nidai and Owari. They have so much energy."

Their meetup had turned into a full blown practice session, and Hajime had not been able to keep up. Even after he had collapsed from exhaustion, the three had still been going at it. It was like they had endless stamina or something.

He had barely been able to take a shower and put on his uniform when he got back to his room. He had been so tempted to just skip school today.

"Oh." Chiaki sat down next to him. For once, she didn't have her game console out. How rare! "Uzumaki-kun invited you to train with him? That was nice of him."

Hajime had thought so too, but now he was sure the guy was trying to get him killed.

Oh, who was he kidding. Despite his exhaustion, Hajime had had a lot of fun. He had been able to take his mind away from all the recent problems he had been having. It had been a much needed downtime for his mind, as ironic as that sounded since his body was practically dead right now.

"I guess you're not up to playing a match today."

Hajime chuckled weakly. They had agreed to play some games together since apparently the girl had enjoyed playing with him a lot on Saturday. It was another nice compliment in Hajime's mind, even though he didn't think he was deserving of it.

"You really do play video games all the time, don't you?"

Chiaki shrugged. "They're fun. And for the longest time they were the only friends I had."

Oh. Hajime didn't know how to respond to that.

"Anyway, you were kind of late getting here. Classes are about to start. I guess we'll have to put our match on hold for now."

That sounded like a great idea. Hajime didn't have the energy to do anything right now. He wasn't even sure how he was going to survive class today.

But he didn't regret a single thing.

Chiaki noticed this, which made her smile a little.

The two were about to say their goodbyes until they noticed something kind of odd in the distance.

There seemed to be five small figures that were tiptoeing their way through the gardens. And they seemed to be bickering too?

Hajime and Chiaki looked at one another.

What the heck?


Foolish servant,

I have your vessel ready to be returned to your service today. He is most eager to see you again. We'll be seeing you in our gathering circle.

Tanaka the Forbidden One.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he read the text he just received from Gundham. He was always dramatic, no matter what method of communication he was using. And "gathering circle"? Was that supposed to be their classroom?

The Gundham-language was always so complex!

Still, Naruto was eager to see Kurama again too. His weekend had been packed, but he had still missed the little guy. He was just glad Gundham was always happy to look after him.

But speaking of the weekend and the classroom, Naruto sighed as he pocketed his phone. He was out by the main gate that led into the main school building. As he stood there, the realization that he was soon going to be seeing Mikan again hit him like a ton of bricks. After their kiss, the Ultimate Nurse had practically sprinted away without saying another word. He had seen the look on her face and how red it had been.

Not that his had been any different.

Now that Monday was here, he was going to be facing her. What was he going to do?

Ibuki was one thing, but his kiss with Mikan had left him more confused than he cared to admit. Was it possible to have feelings for two girls at the same time?

'When did this love stuff become so complicated?'

Pfft, what was he saying? It was always complicated! This was just another layer that he had to overcome.

But that still left him with the most important question of them all. What was he going to say to Mikan? To Sonia? This was not something he could keep to himself. He might not be dating either of them, but it would still feel like a betrayal in his mind if he didn't tell them what was happening.

What about Ibuki, though? Where would she be fitting in all of this?

Dammit, he was so lost! It felt like he was no closer to unraveling any of this! He wanted to rip his hair out. He was that frustrated.

Well, thinking had never been his strong suit anyway. He would decide when he saw them again. He always followed his instincts, and he wasn't going to stop now.

With that settled, he was about to head inside into the main hall of the first floor when he heard the sound of someone shouting from behind him.

"-you damn brats! You're not allowed in there!"

...what?

Turning to face the commotion, Naruto was not prepared to see the five Li'l Ultimates he had come to know running towards him at top speed. Well, four of them were running. Monaca was still in her wheelchair, and she was being pushing along by Nagisa.

How nice of him.

Why were they running? Because of the security guard chasing after them of course! Hope's Peak Academy had its own private security force to enforce the rules in place and keep the school grounds safe. This apparently included chasing and stopping five elementary school kids from entering the main school building.

"Naruto-kun, help us!" Kotoko shouted as she and the others neared him.

"What the-!"

There was no time to ask them anything as they instinctively ducked behind him for protection as the security guard came following after them.

"You there!" The guard pointed at Naruto who was still trying to understand what the heck was going on. "You're a student, right? Step aside. These five are trespassing."

Masaru stuck his tongue out at the guard from behind Naruto. He was grabbing Naruto's shirt for extra moral support, as were the other four.

"Suck it, you idiot! We're not trespassing. We're students of the school too!"

"You're from the elementary school division. You don't have permission to be here! Understand?"

Wow, so apart from the Ultimates, every other section of the school had limitations of some kind. Talk about special treatment.

"It's okay." Naruto quickly stepped in. He still had no idea why the kids had come here, but it didn't matter. "They're with me."

"Huh? That doesn't change-"

"It's quite alright," a different voice said. It was much older, and Naruto didn't recognize it. Because of this, he wasn't surprised when he saw that he didn't recognize the man the voice belonged to either. He wore a pitch black suit and appeared to be in his late fifties. And that was Naruto being generous. He was probably much older than that. He was very tall, and had gray hair and a matching beard. His face was stern, and right away Naruto had a distinct feeling that he wasn't going to like this man.

The same couldn't be said for his companion, though, who was walking beside him.

It was Tengan, after all.

"What do we have here?" Tengan looked curious and amused as he stroked his beard. "Causing problems so early in the morning, Uzumaki-kun?"

Naruto clicked his teeth together, looking annoyed. This was the first time he was seeing the old man in quite some time, and this was what he had to say?

"I'm not the one who caused the commotion."

"Too true." The unnamed man kept his stern expression as he studied the five kids who were still hiding behind the blond. His cold eyes made them all flinch, for various reasons. "I believe you five should know the rules by now. You're not allowed to be here."

Naruto stepped in between them and the man's line of vision, his eyes narrowed a little.

"They probably came to see me. I take full responsibility for them while they're here."

His words caused the five Li'l Ultimates to look relieved, but Naruto didn't notice this as he was keeping his eyes trained solely on the man before him.

"Quite," he said after a moment's silence. "So this is the boy you took in, Kazuo. He does not appear to be anything special."

Kazuo? Who was that? Naruto certainly had no idea.

Tengan chuckled as he replied, "I don't know about that. He's quite something if you ask me. He is even trying to arrange a school festival despite the rules you set in place."

Wait, what!? This man was the one who made all the bullshit rules?

"H'mph, yes. I'm almost tempted to reprimand him for it. But I suppose there's no need. It's not going to change much in the grand scheme of things."

Naruto almost bristled at the man's calm dismissal.

Ignoring the Uzumaki, the man looked toward the guard. "You can make an exception for this one time. If these kids misbehave, I'm sure Uzumaki Naruto here will accept whatever punishment we give him."

This man…..he already knew Naruto's name? How much had Tengan told him? This was really starting to make Naruto feel uneasy.

"Sir." The guard bowed before walking off now that he had been given new orders.

"Make sure not to cause too much of a commotion." The man turned his back toward Naruto as he too began to walk away. "You may be an Ultimate, but you will find that that too has its limitations."

Naruto just watched him go, his jaw clenched tight. Looks like his gut had been right. He didn't like the looks of that man one bit.

Tengan's chuckles brought him out of his thoughts. "You shouldn't show your emotions so carelessly, my boy. Looks like that part of you hasn't changed."

Naruto was almost tempted to glare at him. "Old man, who was that?"

"One of the most powerful men at this school. One who even overrides our current headmaster. One of the final bosses."

Final…..bosses?

"It's good to see you again, my boy. Make sure to take care of yourself. I look forward to seeing what this school festival of yours will bring."

Naruto didn't offer a response, instead choosing to merely watch Tengan follow after the unnamed man.

He had to once again accept the fact that he still knew very little about Hope's Peak Academy, and that, while he felt that he was making great progress in achieving his goal, in reality he might not have gotten as far as he thought. Just seeing the way the man had so easily dismissed him like that...well, it was frustrating to say the least.

But it was something that he was going to have to live with for now. It might be frustrating, but he was ready to overcome anything that might stand in his way.

As he once told Obito. There was no point in trying to take the easy path out.


I had to leave out certain scenes with Mahiru, Sonia, and Mikan since this chapter was getting too long. For next time I suppose.

Hope you liked it.

Till next time.