Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

105. Chapter 104: Learn and Grow

Chapter 104

Learn and Grow: The Path Forward

Class 1-A had been destroyed. Bruised. Wounded. Broken. Not a single student was left unscathed by Amaririsu's meticulous dismantling. Their pride, their bodies, their spirits, she left nothing except broken shells behind, bled of their hope and injected with a foul venom that was eating away at what remained, feeding itself on their doubt and fear and draining their life force like a leech hungry for Hero blood.

It was everything Aizawa expected. And yet…

The disheveled teacher examined all of his wounded, bleeding, exhausted and unconscious students with a frown. They looked terrible. Those street thugs from the U.S.J. should be ashamed of themselves. One girl did what an entire force of Villains couldn't.

His eyes scanned over the fresh blood on Shoji's arms and tentacles, his ears caught the pained whimpers of Yuga Aoyama somewhere up above; Yaoyorozu had dried blood on her face, and fresh wounds elsewhere. On the ground floor, he noticed the impressive gouges in Iida's armor as the Class Rep's entire body trembled; he was rattling on all-fours. Kirishima's and Todoroki's unconscious bodies were lying on the floor, the latter of the pair impaled with an impressive amount of shuriken and senbon.

Aizawa shifted his jaw slightly, exhaling deeply but unnoticeably through his nose.

She utterly destroyed them.

Then his gaze fell upon the child responsible. Her mesh long sleeve had become short-sleeved in the time since he last saw her, undoubtedly the result of the acid burn marring her scarred arm—Ashido was responsible, obviously. Yūhi bore an array of contusions discoloring her fair complexion, like she spent the day finger painting with a child who kept touching her with wet paint on their hands. An open wound on the outside of her right bicep was bleeding and other fractures of flesh from blows she endured were plain to see.

Overall, she appeared as disheveled and exhausted as he did.

Her shoulders were hunched forward, shuddering with each labored breath she sucked in with the desperation of a free diver who narrowly broke above the surface before inhaling water. He noticed her hand was placed over her abdomen. Her fingers curled and flattened on the fabric of her shirt as she winced and grimaced through each breath. But she was still standing, still the winner of a battle where she was massively outnumbered and outmatched in the sheer multitude of Quirks his students wielded.

My class did worse than I expected, he thought rationally. The difference of skill level can't get any clearer than this. Amaririsu may be two years their junior in age, but she is more than two years their senior when it comes to combat experience. I hope the other teachers were watching closely. This is why we must test our students personally. We cannot let them skate through their first exam. They must be prepared for this. This reality right here.

Midoriya collapsed to the floor. He ducked his chin to his chest and held his dislocated arm in silence; Aizawa could tell he was emotionally at his limit due to the ultimatum. All of his students were. Every shade of emotion ran wild within them, all brimming to the surface at once as their adrenaline faded and the intensity of the battles caught up to them.

It's on our shoulders to push these kids. We have to prepare them for what life as a Pro entails. I'll need to look at the playback to see how each student performed. Still, Amaririsu fulfilled her promise: She dragged them straight through hell. And in this next semester, I'll do the same.

I'm going to train them so hard they'll wish she was destroying them again.

"Recovery Girl should be on her way here now. So try not to move around and agitate your injuries," he announced to his class. "As for your normal classes, you'll have your next two periods off to clean-up and rest while we review your performances. Amaririsu, All Might and I will decide who among you passed and failed this Pop Quiz."

"Mr. Aizawa? May I ask a question about…Amaririsu, was it?"

"Save your questions for the classroom, Yaoyorozu," Aizawa said calmly, eyeing the girl braced by Jiro. "Everything will be explained there. Don't hold a grudge against her, though. She was just doing as we asked. There is a purpose behind this."

"A…purpose?" Yaoyorozu didn't press further. Her bloodstained eyebrows pinched together; he presumed she was replaying the fight in her head, thinking through their interactions with Amaririsu and how it all tied together.

She'll figure it out.

"In the meantime, why don't you two sit down," he ordered rather than suggested. "The old lady will be here soon." He turned to the shinobi. "Yūhi, how are your injuries?"

"Mild when compared to the others," she replied through a grimace.

He nodded. "Think you can make it to the shower and then the lounge?"

"With Atsuko and Osamu's help, I will."

"All right. Hit the shower, then. Recovery Girl will meet you in the lounge to heal your injuries."

She nodded quietly and, after Atsuko hopped to her shoulder, dispersed into a flock of Crows. It was only rational to send her ahead, even if he was pushing her to her limit. At the end of the day, his students were still only kids, full of ego and close-knitted connections. It was better to put some distance between them and Amaririsu for now, let the animosity, frustration and fear air itself out before they reviewed their performances.

Aizawa sauntered casually over to Igarashi's defeated form after retrieving her jacket from the floor. As he crouched down beside her, he noticed two streams of dried tears on her cheeks. He hummed deeply, but said nothing. The cause wasn't physical pain, he was certain of that; Igarashi wielded a formidable tolerance to physical pain.

"You awake yet, Igarashi?" he asked, lightly nudging her.

Calm, violet eyes creaked open. She didn't say a word, yet her eyes said everything. He expected her to be full of fury, to curse him for his rational deception. Her eyes didn't curse him. She understood. Better than the rest of Class 1-A, she understood why this reality was foisted upon them violently, without mercy.

Igarashi began an attempt to sit up. Her muscles trembled violently. She grunted and clenched her teeth together.

"You need to keep building up your resilience to your Quirks negative effects," he noted academically, aiding her effort. "You'll become a liability to fellow Pros if you don't. And I don't want to hear about how you were taught to be afraid of it. That's the past, this is the present. You have three years to rectify the irrationality of others and become a Pro like your father and sister. Work harder."

She nodded silently. Aizawa hid his surprise. He expected a glare, a scoff or a scowl, as she was prone to do when he pushed her.

It seemed her internship and the fight against Amaririsu helped mature the former delinquent.

Aizawa opened her jacket and laid it on her shoulders. You've still got a long way to go, kid. But with your tenacity, you'll get there.

"And try not to move anymore," he added as he stood up. "Your Quirk and Amaririsu did a number on you."

"…She's something special, isn't she?" Igarashi asked softly.

"Yeah, she is," Aizawa agreed, nodding once.

Before he departed to check in on his other students, he scanned his eyes over Bakugo, Midoriya and Igarashi, sitting at points that made an irregular triangle with miles of emotional dilemmas separating them. Bakugo glared furiously at Midoriya. Midoriya stared at the ground, glancing from beneath the shadow cast over his face at Igarashi. Igarashi stared at the busted skylight, at the sky beyond, thoughts drawn to the kindred spirit she never believed she'd meet.

This is going to be a problem, he sensed.

But for now it was dormant, and he had an entire class of students to check on. At some point he'd need to force them to sort this out, this clash of ideals and tainted history these three shared with one another.

Otherwise they would implode.

---

Her shower was nice. However, Amari couldn't wait to be finished beneath the cool water. Soreness in her back, shoulders, arms, legs—everywhere—increased the difficulty of the process a hundredfold. Exhaustion tied weights to her arms, forced her to lumber through it at the speed of a sloth.

More than once she had to brace herself on the cold tile wall to avoid falling over, or shake her arms out before continuing to wash her hair. She didn't even bother to fully dry or brush her hair after she finished; it hurt too much to raise her arms above her head for another second. She was taxed to her physical limits by the events of the day.

Once dry and clothed, she struggled on heavy legs and through eye watering yawns to return to the teacher's lounge. Atsuko and Osamu monitored her from her shoulders, prepared to transport her there if she stumbled or fell.

She felt so sluggish. She was somewhere between running to the Land of Tea and zombie mode auto-pilot, and it was all so troublesome. Everything was troublesome. The sore aches. The long walk. She wanted to sleep. But she kept trudging towards the lounge, deeper and deeper and deeper through the halls to a glorious couch she had every intention of commandeering as a bed.

Finally, though, she reached the door, slid it open and closed it behind her. When she turned around, she crashed tiredly into someone else's body. They were soft. Warm, too. She didn't see who. Their hands came to her shoulders and steadied her, she felt. They spoke words she couldn't hear over her fatigue, sounding so far away, high above the well she was submerged in. Amari shut her eyes and tried not to topple over.

Then the pain and consciousness faded.

She hadn't known she crashed into Nemuri, or that All Might was also in the room. She didn't know Nemuri used her Quirk, or that Atsuko and Osamu asked her to when the kunoichi showed little responsiveness.

All Amari remembered was the sweet scent of lilac. And then peaceful sleep.

---

Midoriya couldn't feel more horrible.

Generally, the effects of Recovery Girl's Healing Quirk left him completely exhausted—which it did today, as well—but that wasn't why he felt emotionally beaten up.

It wasn't like a wave had eroded a mass of stone over decades, centuries or millenniums; it hadn't occurred over an extended period of time, slowly building towards this sudden collapse where he wanted to sit at his computer and watch All Might's debut over and over again the way he used to before he inherited One For All, or when he felt most alone as his dream seemed less like a dream and more like an unattainable childhood fantasy he needed to mature out of.

No. It hadn't happened over time. It wasn't a wave eroding stone. It was a demolition team sneaking into a mountain under the cover of darkness, planting TNT everywhere while no one was looking. And then the next morning, when people neared the mountain, they detonated it without any warning or mercy, destroying the mountain abruptly in a flash of violent combustion and dirt that ruptured the ears and bowled over the bystanders.

The battle against the Villain—

…No, not a Villain. Just a girl. A soldier of light in a war against darkness. A prodigious Pro Hero, at a guess, who served as a sort of mentor today to teach them all a series of lessons he wasn't quite sure the purpose of yet. He hadn't thought about it too deeply. No. He was perpetually stuck in that last moment.

Midoriya replayed the choice she forced onto him over and over and over again. He felt the same dread pinch his heart, the fear turn his blood to ice, the revolting despair that made him so nauseous he almost puked.

He hadn't been able to do anything. He couldn't save Igarashi or Bakugo.

He couldn't save them.

Dressed again in his school uniform, he trudged to the teacher's lounge through the silent halls of U.A. High School, sullen green eyes on the floor but his mind stuck in the mall.

All Might texted him, asked for him to come to the lounge so they could talk. About his lackluster performance, maybe? About his inability to choose one life over another, because he wanted to save both. He didn't want to choose one or the other. Surely All Might would understand that. Or maybe that wasn't it at all. Maybe it was about the nature of the Pop Quiz or one of the lessons he was supposed to learn?

He wasn't sure. But he left his recovering classmates behind as soon as he received the message. There was still tension in the air. High-strung emotions of terror, embarrassment and anger that some of his classmates were dealing with. The more stoic of his classmates merely waited for answers, taking this time to recover their energy, think about their performances and examine the true purpose of their Pop Quiz.

The Pop Quiz. Another rational deception perfectly executed. He felt so stupid for falling for it, because it was so obvious now what their teacher had done. He even hinted to Asui that he was deceiving them just by mentioning its existence.

I should've seen through it. But I got caught up in his deception, just like everyone else. I psyched myself out over a written exam, when it was really a practical test of our skills.

A practical test, by his estimations, he likely failed.

Feeling even worse, Midoriya slid the door to the teacher's lounge open and stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"Ah, Young Midoriya," All Might greeted calmly. "Come in. Sit."

"All Might…"

Midoriya sucked in his breath at the sight of the Villain—the girl lying on the couch, head lying in Midnight's lap. His Modern Hero Art History teacher ran her delicate fingers gently through the sleeping girl's hair.

Her injuries were healed, from the look of it. Or the acid burn and the open wounds were, anyway. He couldn't tell if she had any contusions or bruising still.

The two Crows sat perched on the couch, their eyes shut as they, too, rested.

As he observed her sleeping form, two emotions swarmed him. First, to his surprise, was a burst of anger flushing through him. He felt his jaw tighten, his fists clench. The anger pulsing through his skull set his skin alight. He was hot, burning on the inside with rage, with the emotional response he hated most from himself because it emulated Bakugo.

The rage demanded him to march to the couch and shake her awake so he could ask her why. Why did she hurt so many people? Why did she terrorize his classmates to the point of tears?

Why did she act like a Villain and ask him to choose between two lives?

But then he remembered the memories she showed them. He remembered she wasn't a Villain. As he stood there, temper and body cooling, he examined the spider web of scars covering her left arm, how they curled and carved around her forearm, her elbow and up her bicep, leading higher and higher up the limb beneath the remaining threads of her mesh sleeve. Some were short, abrupt. Others were as long as those onyx blades she used.

He followed the scars up to her left eye, and remembered a feeling he had at the start: It was still bleeding. She was still crying.

The thought washed away the anger. His emotional heart cooled and curiosity replaced the volatile reaction he hated himself for. It left him with more questions than he could ask in one sitting. It asked how much was truth and what had been lies. It questioned the validity of his personal ideals, while wondering what she truly believed in.

He wondered how cruel the world had been to her, and whether or not he could have endured as she did through it without losing his way.

In Midnight's lap, asleep, she didn't look like the girl they fought. She was no longer a swirling fire tornado of hatred, sorrow and death, seeking to devastate and destroy them for the retribution and revolution she sought. She looked at peace. Unburdened by the claws of past hurt and the binds of darkness that he'd seen flickering in that eye of fire and piercing lavender gaze, chaining her to the curse she called a gift.

From her face, his gaze lowered to the blue cloth and metal plate with a strange symbol carved into it, and he remembered the strange sign language she used.

"Who is she?" Midoriya asked quietly.

"Come, sit, Young Midoriya. Rest and I'll tell you what I can before we go over it in class."

Midoriya obeyed, sitting on the stool beside his mentor. He listened intently to All Might recount the girl's story, taken aback and bewildered by the impossibility of his mentor's explanation, which slowly mutated into awe and understanding as he reflected on recent events.

It's unbelievable. Impossible. And yet…it adds up, Midoriya thought. From her numerous unique abilities and weapons, to her battle prowess at her age and that strange sign language she used before specific attacks. Her chosen Villain name and the headband around her neck both pointed to her place of origin. The hints were right in front of us the whole time, but we never saw it.

Together with Aizawa, they worked her failed warp technique and sudden crash into their classroom to paint the perfect deception. They twisted pieces of her history with what knowledge Class 1-A thought they possessed to write a new narrative—the narrative of a powerful Villain with nothing left except a burning desire to change Hero society to resemble her vision.

Honestly, Midoriya feared what else the pair might concoct, given more time working together.

I…can't believe I'm thinking this. But…

"Hey, Midoriya," he recalled his conversation with Todoroki in the locker room. "That girl, her hair color is pretty close to Miss Midnight's, wouldn't you say?"

"Uh, yeah. I suppose so. Why?"

"And her eye Quirk glows red like Aizawa's. Plus they both use ninja like tools."

Midoriya's stomach dropped. His friend couldn't seriously be going there again, could he?

"What are you saying, Todoroki?" Iida asked.

"Do you think she's their secret love child?"

Midoriya glanced to Midnight stroking the girl's hair. Then felt a blush burn his cheeks.

She could totally be Mr. Aizawa's and Miss Midnight's secret love child!

A hand chopped him in the back of the head. Midoriya sputtered and grabbed at his skull, pain thrumming at the point of impact.

"You were just thinking Amaririsu could be Aizawa's and Midnight's child, weren't you?" All Might chastised.

Ah, crap! He totally caught me! Damn it, Todoroki! Why did you have to point that out!

Midnight grinned devilishly, a light pink blush coloring her cheeks. "Eraser Head hasn't restrained me with that stiff and binding scarf of his. Not yet, anyway. Oh! But I can imagine what it feels like. Mm! I might even bind him with it!"

All Might choked. Midoriya's breathing ceased; he was pretty sure he was dying.

Midnight, ever the sadist, pushed on.

"And imagine if Ms. Joke found out? I sense a ménage à trois of bondage and whips and feathers and, ohhh! I'm shivering with anticipation!"

A fountain of blood shot from All Might's mouth, blasting him back and out of his seat. Midoriya's blush burned hotter, spreading from his face to the whole of his body. Despite the heat, he was frozen stiff in the binds of embarrassment.

If Mineta were here, he was certain the pervert would have died from a brain hemorrhage.

Midnight, however, restrained her laughter behind her hand, giggling at them openly while trying not to disturb the three sleeping individuals in the room.

"Aw, I think I've given poor Midoriya a heart attack," she giggled. "How about you, All Might? Have I accidentally slain the Symbol of Peace?"

"I'm alive," he coughed. "Barely." He flung back up into a seated position, chopped Midoriya in the back of the head again then jabbed his fingers at him and Midnight. "I'll have none of this impropriety! Young Yūhi is a thirteen year old girl. She could wake up at any moment and I will not allow either of you to corrupt her with adolescent hormones or adult fetishes!"

"So- sorry, All Might!" Midoriya apologized reflexively. Then remembered it wasn't technically him who thought of the scenario. He considered correcting his mentor on who to blame, but decided to leave it be.

Midnight raised a hand in surrender, wearing a bashful expression. "As you wish. On a serious note," she turned her attention back down to Amaririsu, a fond smile on her lips, "I'd be proud to have a daughter like Amaririsu."

"She has a pure spirit," All Might nodded. "She's kind and gentle, empathetic and warm. Wise, too, for a girl her age. But war and pain quickly mature those who survive and endure it."

Midoriya's eyes drew over to her visible scars again. There were so many on her arm, and though different than All Might's, they reminded the boy of his mentor's injury. Just by looking at them his vivid imagination created an origin story, and even if it wasn't close to the truth, it was obvious the pain she suffered was insurmountable. Worse than the pain breaking his bones over and over again had caused.

Looking down at his right hand and the slightly deformed fingers and scarring, he frowned. His injury was self-inflicted. Caused by his inability to use One for All properly during the Sports Festival. While this girl…she was a soldier, fighting in wars despite being two years younger than him, while he was enjoying his time at school, training to be a Pro Hero.

Who was really the child here, he wondered. Him or her?

"Our lives are so different," he muttered.

"True. But that is because our worlds are vastly different," replied All Might. "Young Yūhi has explained it as constants and variables. For instance, both our worlds developed a society around the evolution of powers. That is the constant. The variable is the society that formed, and how those powers evolved overall."

"The society of pillars she mentioned, is that how her world is?"

"Hm. Yes and no. Her world isn't without evil or darkness, Young Midoriya. She comes from a world that has suffered three Great Ninja Wars, wars that painted their world map with the blood of those caught in the middle of it, which has bred and fostered further war and resentment. Recently, her home suffered an Invasion from a Nation they were in an alliance with, an Invasion she fought on the front-lines of."

All Might's expression was serious, his voice sober. He looked at Midoriya not as the kind mentor he'd come to know, but as a Pro Hero who understood war.

"Make no mistake: She is a soldier. One who has seen more combat, bloodshed, death and grief than any of the first, second or third years in this school. You can see it, can't you? I've noticed you staring at her scars. But you felt it, too, right? In her presence, in the air she carries herself with."

Midoriya nodded mutely. He had felt it. It was impossible not to feel that invisible pressure bearing down on his shoulders.

"However, despite the flaws of her society, there is merit to some of their ideology. Like building a society of pillars, rather than a society around one man."

Midoriya winced and looked away.

"She wasn't wrong, you know," All Might lowered his voice. "I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. And our world is a big place. The Symbol of Peace can't physically be everywhere at once. Right now, as we sit here talking, there could be someone crying out, pleading for me to save them. But I won't be there.

"The spirit of the Symbol of Peace is what gives people hope. The spirit of the Symbol of Peace can be everywhere even when I cannot be there. It allows others to live in peace, without fearing the possibility of a Villain attack, because the mere existence of a Symbol of Peace acts as a deterrent. Common criminals are superstitious and paranoid, so even if I don't live in their city, they may fear I'll suddenly appear to stop them.

"But the world needs more than me to survive this war against darkness. It needs Pro's like Aizawa, like Midnight, like Endeavor and so many more. One day I will grow too old to be an active Pro and I'll have to retire. That's why schools like U.A. exist, so we can prepare the next generation for the responsibilities we will one day have to relinquish to you.

"A society built around one pillar is doomed to crumble. But a society held up by many pillars can endure through our war against villainy." All Might's hand rested on his shoulder, drawing his green eyes to his mentor's blue orbs. "You may not see it yet, but you stand as a future guardian of this generation, Young Midoriya. There are many burdens you will have to carry on your path, so don't walk it alone. Help inspire your peers. Lift them up to become guardians like you."

How did he do that, though? How could he possibly inspire his peers…when he couldn't even save Igarashi or Bakugo?

"I'll…do my best," he said instead.

He'd keep trying. Keep training so he could one day make this Quirk his own, and be a Hero just like All Might. Someone who could've saved his classmates from Amaririsu Yūhi.

Midoriya left soon after, returning to Class 1-A's classroom. He took his seat and opened to a blank page in his Hero notebook, where he began to sketch out a new entry.

The Last Shinobi: Amaririsu Yūhi.

---

Amari covered a yawn as she strode towards the classroom.

Despite her nap, the effects of Recovery Girl's Quirk and the events of the day left her tired. Not dead on her feet, but still tired enough to make the lazy Nara within want to go back to sleep. The scent of lilac lingered in her nostrils.

"This is a drag," she yawned. "Speaking in front of a class is my least favorite thing to do."

"You'll live, Young Haya," Atsuko hummed in amusement.

"Perhaps ice cream should be her reward," Osamu jested. "Or perhaps sugar cookies. I'm certain then she'll find it more appealing if there is a sweet treat waiting for her afterwards."

Her stomach rumbled. Amari blushed. "Don't tease my tummy with the thoughts of treats. If there is ice cream or sugar cookies waiting, I'll skip the speeches and go straight there."

Atsuko and Osamu shared in laughter at her expense. Amari made a mental note to ask Nemuri or All Might where the best sweets were, entirely set on treating herself to glorious confections, even if she had to steal the supplies to bake them herself. She could already imagine muffin hills with blueberries, rivers that ran with icing and sprinkles, gingerbread houses built by the finest of chefs and cake lakes that she could dive into.

Again her stomach rumbled. Her fair skin flushed a deeper shade of red. She eyed her two immensely amused companions with harmless glares, ensuring they maintained their silence about the incident.

Amari stopped outside the door of the classroom. Beyond the physical barrier she could sense Aizawa and the rest of his class. All Might had left for the auditorium to give a speech to the gathered students, planning to regroup with her and Aizawa afterwards to join their review.

Inhaling a deep breath, she prepared to not only speak in front of the class, but face whatever shade of emotion they felt. She wouldn't blame them for anger, frustration or feelings of enmity; she'd cut, burned, broken and terrorized them all, attacking vulnerabilities in their emotional armor mercilessly. Perhaps for a good cause, but she'd bet that was a poor excuse from their point of view.

The kunoichi inhaled another breath, which turned into a yawn as she opened the door.

"What a drag," she yawned.

"Am I clear?" Aizawa didn't really ask the question to his class. It was more of a statement, in her eyes. They still chorused their affirmatives. Drawing his tired eyes away from his students, he nodded at her. "Right on time, Yūhi."

"I don't like to be late," she said through her yawn, eyes watering. "It's troublesome."

He hummed in appreciation. "Has All Might joined the auditorium?"

"Yes. He said to start without him." She shrugged, blinking to clear her vision. "He wasn't sure how long talking to the other students would take."

From the students she heard confused murmurs and uncomfortable shifting. She flicked her eyes over to them; more than a handful shuddered or tensed under her cool onyx and lavender gaze.

"Ah, you haven't told them. My apologies."

"No need. It's better to get it over with now. Afterwards we'll begin with introductions and personal questions; All Might should be here by then for the review. Is that fine with you, Yūhi?"

Amari nodded and took her place at the center of the room, at the front of the class. "Works for me, Mr. Aizawa."

"All right." His eyes fell upon his students. "The entire school watched your Pop Quiz. All three years, all faculty, all courses," he stated bluntly.

It was as if she watched a tragic tsunami formed by wide-spread depression and embarrassment wash over and carry the students out the window. Silence. Utter silence deafened the room. The color of the classroom and the students blanched ghostly pale.

I think he broke them, she thought, trying and failing not to smile.

"Aw, c'mon!" Denki Kaminari, among many other voices, cried out in shame and frustration. "Are you serious?! That's so not cool!"

"The entire school…watched it…" Amari swore she could see Mineta's spirit leaving his body. His eyes looked dead.

Serves you right, pervert.

"Wa- wait! You mean our defeat was also entertainment for the rest of the school?!" Iida called out of turn, raising his hand while speaking.

"Now you know what humility feels like," Aizawa said, a sadistic smirk on his lips.

"How cruel!" almost the entire class echoed.

Tokoyami crossed his arms and sank in his seat. Shoji and Todoroki didn't appear bothered. Jiro and Kirishima were blushing various shades of embarrassment. Bakugo looked irate, muscles tense to the point his fists were trembling. Mineta was most certainly dying a terrible death inside.

"Well, some of us have nothing to be ashamed of," said Aoyama haughtily. "My twinkling never ceased! I shone like a true star!"

Amari turned her head to Osamu. "Isn't he the one who was left curled up in a ball because of a tummy ache?"

"Indeed, Lady Haya. Indeed."

Aoyama muffled a high-pitched moan of displeasure. "Must you be so cruel, mademoiselle?" he whined.

"You've called me that a lot. What does it mean?" Amari asked, tilting her head to the side in genuine curiosity. "It's obviously a different language. One not from my world, or at least not one I've encountered. You're not calling me a terrible insult, are you?"

"No, no!" Aoyama wagged his finger. "Definitely not something so crude, mademoiselle. It is a French word, a title of Miss for a young lady, such as yourself."

"Oh." Amari considered asking for elaboration on what 'French' was and where it originated from, and if it was his heritage, but relinquished her curiosity.

The rest of the class were either hiding their pink faces in their hands or watching her with curiosity. Yukiko was the most relaxed.

Momo Yaoyorozu respectfully raised her hand. "Um, may I ask what you mean by 'my world'…Haya? Amaririsu? Um…"

The kunoichi smiled, shut her eyes and chuckled softly. "Don't be so unsure of yourself, Momo Yaoyorozu. You should trust yourself more." She exhaled a soft breath and opened her eyes again.

"Okay. Let's start with introductions. My name is Amaririsu Yūhi. I was born Haya Uchiha, but my family and the rest of the Uchiha Clan were slain in a massacre. After being gifted the name of Amaririsu by a boy I called brother, who was eventually slain by a monster who betrayed us, I was taken in by an amazing woman named Kurenai Yūhi. She…gave me a home. A reason to live when I had nothing. When I was nothing. All on a good hunch. She adopted me, and I became Amaririsu Yūhi."

Amari smiled. "Then again, Amaririsu Yūhi and Haya Uchiha are the same person. They're me. But pretty much everyone I know now calls me by Amaririsu or Amari; I didn't learn my name was Haya until sometime after I graduated from the Academy and became a shinobi. Lower your hands. I know what you want to ask.

"What is the Academy? Why do I call myself a shinobi? Aren't they ancient? The truth is this: I'm not from this world. Or, more specifically, I'm not from this Earth. I've accidentally traveled through space and time to this world you all call home. My home is located on the shinobi continent, in the Land of Fire. This symbol on my headband," she placed her finger on the cool metal plate, "is the symbol worn by shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village—my home."

Dead silence. Only Yukiko and Midoriya didn't appear surprised or suspicious.

"A…different Earth?" Shoji murmured.

"Um… This isn't some way to make us feel better about losing to you, is it?" Hanta Sero asked.

"I didn't realize Mr. Aizawa made a habit of making you feel better," Amari teased.

"That's…a good point."

"Sounds unreal," Jiro said. "But it does make sense, in a crazy way."

"How does any of this make sense to you?" Kaminari questioned.

"You haven't fried your brain, so try using it," Jiro chastised, twirling one of her elongated earlobes around her finger.

"The light she appeared out of…" Momo Yaoyorozu was piecing it together. "It was a…sort of portal, or warping ability that carried her from her dimension to ours. If this is true, then that means the theory on the multiverse isn't just a theory! It means there are other alternate Earths, worlds that developed from an infinite number of possibilities to become something vastly different than ours."

Amari eye smiled at them. "Yep. Though it wasn't a portal. More of a door that I opened and jumped through, sort of."

"It's- it's incredible!" Yaoyorozu gasped.

"Terrifying. Heartbreaking. But incredible," she agreed, nodding.

Tsuyu Asui raised her hand. "Um, what are shinobi like in your world? Are they like you?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"You were pretty terrifying," she said bluntly.

Amari giggled. Osamu and Atsuko both hummed in amusement. "Sorry about that. But I had to make you all believe I was a Villain, that way none of you would suspect it was a test. Or hold back. Honestly, all that darkness and brooding was a total drag. I don't know how Villains or evil people do it. It's exhausting."

"Oh. So you're not always dark and scary then?" Uraraka piped in.

"No," she chuckled. "I channeled that to play a role. And like I said, it was exhausting. Beyond that, back to your question Asui, shinobi in my world are a military force. We're soldiers. I'm hardly the strongest one. I've met plenty of shinobi around my age and older than me that are stronger, more experienced or deadlier than me. And definitely more terrifying."

She couldn't imagine how Class 1-A would react to Zabuza Momochi's Demon Chakra or Kisame Hoshigaki's insanely powerful presence, let alone Gaara in his crazed, bloodthirsty state. Or Orochimaru's killing intent. That was a level of fear she could never forget.

"Also, the Leaf isn't the only Village home to shinobi. There are Five Great Nations, and many more minor ones who each have varying amount of shinobi. Plus there are the samurai of the Land of Iron. They're neutral to the affairs of shinobi."

She explained the ranking of shinobi, the Kage's and Feudal Lords while briefly skimming over shinobi history, the previous wars and recent events that led up to the Invasion. Aizawa pulled out his sleeping bag to nap during it. Atsuko and Osamu took a new perch on his podium.

Throughout it she explained chakra, ninjutsu and genjutsu to give them a basic understanding of how her abilities worked. By the end of it, the differences between their worlds and their own perceptions of the world were clear. All but one student saw black and white.

Unlike them, Amari operated in shades of grey, because that was the reality of this world and hers.

Despite the Pop Quiz, they still saw the world as Heroes and Villains, no in-between.

Tenya Iida raised his hand. "If I may ask, don't you think it's wrong that children are being trained to become soldiers?"

"No. We choose our paths to become shinobi. No one is forcing us to take up arms and fight for the protection of our Village," she answered candidly.

"Yes, but!" He rose out of his seat and spread his arms out, clearly distressed and prepared to debate. "So many children have lost their lives in these Wars. They were rookies, barely out of your Academy. You are only in your first year of service and already you take on dangerous missions against seasoned soldiers! You've fought in an invasion! How can the adults be so willing in your world to moralize sending children to die under the guise of patriotic duty? It's wrong!"

Many of his classmates nodded along, unconsciously.

Before she could reply, the door opened and a booming voice followed:

"I AM HERE! ENTERING THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

All Might, dressed in his gold pinstripe suit, stood with his hands on his hips in the doorway, chest puffed out quite heroically.

"Ah, Mr. All Might," she greeted, looking up at his giant muscular form. She'd forgotten how gigantic he was. "We were just about to finish the personal questions and move onto the review."

"Fantastic! I made it right on time!" He gave her—himself?—a thumbs up.

"Too noisy," Aizawa grumbled, sitting up in his sleeping bag. He looked like a slug, or a caterpillar. Only his face was visible through the open zipper.

The Number One Hero laughed boisterously. Obnoxiously, even.

"Yūhi, you may answer Iida's question and two others. Then we'll begin the review. All Might, don't interfere with this one." Aizawa, who had unzipped his sleeping bag and stepped out of it, folded up the bright yellow portable sleeping arrangement, eyes absent of remorse. "Don't beat around the bush, Yūhi. This is important for their future."

"I wasn't going to." Amari motioned Iida to sit. "My world isn't perfect; I'm not blind to that. It's flawed and cruel. Some of my closest friends are orphans who lost their parents to the darkness of this world, who have starved and suffered physical and emotional abuse by the very Village they called home; they've been convinced they are only weapons, tools, to be discarded when their usefulness runs its course; they've been cast out as outsiders and monsters, treated as something less than human or as potential traitors when they were only children.

"That is the reality of my world among a small pool of children I've met. How many more exist, how many are still suffering while I've fortunately been saved, I'll never truly know. But it pains my heart to think about them. To know I can't save all of them from loneliness, sadness and pain, no matter how hard I try.

"And you're not wrong," she admitted. "Many children have lost their lives in the wars adults started because of pride, for resources, for power or vengeance. I am a child soldier. My job, my duty and my life for the foreseeable future is conflict—an endless conflict of battling other shinobi until we reach a stalemate, an understanding or one or both of us lay dead."

She paused, letting the reality of that thought linger. When she was ready, she continued.

"I have killed before. My hands are stained by the blood of Kōri Yukihana, whose face and name will forever be branded in my memory. I dream about her sometimes. I dream of our battle. I dream of the slaughter she laughed so callously at. And I dream of killing her again, only for her to continue to laugh and live while the dead drag me into the snow.

"And should I meet another shinobi like her, who finds entertainment and enjoyment in the suffering of others, who forces me to choose between sparing their heartless lives or risking the bloodshed of countless innocent people, I will kill them.

"But before you look down on me from your towers of righteousness and cast judgement on my society and my choices, let me ask you a question: What are you students training here for? Anyone can answer it."

"We're training to be Pro Heroes," Momo Yaoyorozu answered, a hint of reluctance in her voice.

"Right," Amari nodded. "And what are Pro Heroes? What is their primary function?"

"Primary…function?" Kirishima repeated. "They're Heroes. They protect innocent people from Villains."

"While true, that isn't the whole truth." She cast her eyes around the room, waiting for someone else to try to answer. No one did. Uncertainty and unease burrowed into their hearts, the result of being forced to learn the harsh reality of shinobi life—a life she was drawing parallels to their dream jobs.

"The primary function of a Hero is to be a soldier. To fight a war." she explained. "A war the majority of you are still blatantly unaware of. And that isn't my opinion, that's a fact." She gestured with her hand to All Might, whose everlasting smile was betrayed by the sympathy in his blue eyes for her plight. "You stand in the presence of the greatest solider this world has ever known. He is the Symbol of Peace, a light so bright the darkness in this world was sent screaming back into bleak alleyways.

"Our wars may look different, but make no mistake: This world is constantly at war. It isn't a conventional war. There aren't specific territories and lines drawn in the sand to divide where your forces sit. There isn't a single location where the battles take place. It is both a war of opposing ideals and a physical war fought every day."

The kunoichi began to pace slowly back and forth. "In this world, Pro Heroes stand as soldiers of light, of order and justice. Villains are soldiers of darkness, of anarchy and lawlessness. And they are constantly struggling against each other, seeking to destroy the other and reign supreme.

"That is what your teachers are preparing you for. This school and all others are training you to become the next generation of soldiers. They're training you to stand against Villains in a war that has raged on longer than any of you have been alive."

Amari stopped and eyed the entire classroom. "The reality is you're all training to be soldiers, just like me. Strip away the glamour and dazzling light your society paints Pro Hero life out to be and what is left? Hardships. Stress. Conflict. Death. Grief. How many people do you think Mr. Aizawa and Mr. All Might have seen die in a natural disaster? Or found dead when hunting down a Villain? Or a child they've saved, but was scarred forever by the torture and abuse they've suffered? Have you ever seriously considered that?"

Silence answered her. Yukiko had, Amari could tell. Because she had seen death, had lost someone she loved and had become one of the scarred children of this world.

"Just because you save a life doesn't mean they are saved," she stated firmly. "Don't be blinded by the fame and praise of the media sharks. Trauma isn't walked off because the Villain is defeated. You can't defeat the destruction and devastation of a natural disaster with your Quirks. A broken heart can't be fixed because 'oh my heavens, it's All Might who saved me!' or anything of that sort. No offense, Mr. All Might."

"It's a hard truth, but you are absolutely right, Young Yūhi," All Might said, his voice no longer obnoxiously boisterous despite his blinding grin. "Never forget, my students, that a Quirk cannot replace a home destroyed by a disaster, or heal a broken heart of the innocent. Fighting Villains is only part of our job."

"Blatant attacks in broad daylight are generally done by reckless and irrational Villains," said Aizawa. "There are Villains far worse than them. I've known tough as nails Pros who turned in their capes after they disbanded human trafficking rings. What they witnessed, the evil that went on in those places and the scars it left behind on the people they saved, it was enough to break their spirits."

The air in the classroom was thin. Tense. Their hearts were tight and their stomachs unsettled.

"My world trained me to face the cruel nature of our world," Amari said. "Despite that, I've had to learn so much through mistakes I've made and the scars I've gained. This life isn't for everyone. To be a shinobi, to be a Pro Hero, it takes more than a special bloodline or a Quirk. This life will test you. It will try to break you, and if you don't have a strong heart and people to support you, it will succeed. That's why only those who choose it, and those who can endure through the hardships, make it as shinobi and Pro Heroes.

"It may not be right. It may not be fair. But we honor our dead. We don't forget them or cast them off as weaklings. We inherit their spirits, their dreams, their Wills. What does your world do, huh? We of the Leaf fight to protect our people; we are willing to lay down our very lives to defend them. Everything we do is for the betterment of our people and our home.

"But your world? How many righteous Pros exist like Mr. Aizawa, Miss Nemuri and Mr. All Might?" She narrowed her eyes. "There are so many Pro's, it's become a dog eat dog society. It's all about personal gain, even at the cost of others success. How is that just? You call these people Heroes? There's nothing wrong with ambition, to have dreams and goals, but to make others sacrificial lambs to your success?"

Amari thought of Gatō. Of Zabuza's heartless ambition and Orochimaru's disregard for human life.

A scowl creased her lips. "The mere thought of calling someone like that a Hero disgusts me. You see this world in black and white, ignorant to the flaws that surround this society while casting judgement on mine. My society isn't perfect, my home isn't without darkness, but at least I can admit that. And I aim to fix it. Until you all admit and accept there are flaws and issues that need fixing, nothing in this world will change. You'll only be new cogs in an old cycle.

"So grow up," she said coldly. "You don't have the luxury of idleness, ignorance or hypocrisy, not when you're the next generation of Pro Heroes. Your teachers are doing the exact same thing as mine, except my world told me it was a war we were fighting. Yours didn't. Open your eyes and look without the glamour or bias you already see it through. It's only then you'll be able to prepare yourselves properly."

"Rational as always, Yūhi," Aizawa praised. "I suggest you all heed her words. It's better you understand what you're getting into now, before lives are on the line."

"Although there are differences between our worlds, Young Yūhi is right. Being a Pro Hero isn't for the faint of heart. It's dangerous. It comes with many burdens and personal sacrifices; it isn't all talk shows and glamorous praise. There's a lot of hard work. You'll witness the pain and heartbreak of others many, many times, and experience it yourself. Even I have."

He clutched one of his massive hands into a fist. "But don't lose heart, my students! Today I saw in you the potential to become great Heroes, through your bravery, your strategies and your sacrifices against Young Yūhi! She may have crushed you mercilessly, but it was for your own good! Ha ha ha!"

For a moment, his students began to shine with hope in his speech. His last comment made them all sink in depression again. Amari snorted at them.

"Before we begin the review, I'll take two final questions if you have any," she said.

Midoriya was the first to raise his hand. She nodded at him to ask.

"Um, how much of what you showed us was real? I- I mean of your history?"

"To a degree, all of it was real," she answered. "I didn't see my Clan massacred or their bodies, but I did lose my family in it. I wasn't there the day my cousin died, but I did see it happen through memories imparted onto me. His final words to me were real. Holding Ryu in my arms as he died, seeing Sandayū and his men slaughtered, the feelings you felt within me in all of those moments, those were all real."

"O- oh. I'm…so sorry."

"Don't be. You're not responsible for my burdens."

"That doesn't make what happened right or fair to you," he mumbled. "You've suffered so much, while most of us…"

Another uneasy silence fell over the class. She could feel their eyes on her scars.

Amari smiled at him. "You have a kind heart, Izuku Midoriya. But although I've suffered, I've also been very fortunate to meet loving, kind, warm and wise people who have made my life brighter. And I always have my Mama, Papa, Shisui and Ryu with me, in spirit and in my heart. I appreciate where your heart is, Mister Hero. But you don't need to apologize or pity me. I'm tougher than I look."

His green eyes bulged. "He- hey, wait a minute! You were that girl from General Studies!"

Amari smirked and quickly transformed back into her disguise. Long black hair, red eyes with a mirror mole to Midnight's, glasses and a school uniform replaced the kunoichi.

"I'm impressed you can even talk to me, Mister Hero," she teased in Hinata's voice. "Last time we met, you were a stuttering mess just talking to a girl." When his face turned red, she giggled and dispelled her transformation. "You're easy to tease. Is talking to girls hard in this world or are you chronically shy?"

"Oh, Midori is about as shy as they come out of battle!" Mina Ashido teased, grinning.

Midoriya was melting and dying inside. However, there was another issue to handle.

"Midoriya," Mineta whispered poorly, cheeks flushed, "did you see that?! She can transform into other girls, and that one was super cute! And didn't you say she could Clone herself. Imagine the possibilities! All of my deepest and darkest fantasies—"

Amari was appalled and embarrassed. The revolting feeling swam through her stomach and flopped mercilessly. She wanted to strangle the pervert, but never had the time.

Purple lightning crackled. Mineta shivered and trembled as he turned to look at Igarashi, now looming over him within the blink of an eye.

"One more word, Mineta. One more goddamn perverse word out of your mouth and I'll be expelled and imprisoned for what I do to you. Got that?" she whispered menacingly.

He didn't have the strength to nod. But his whimpers made it clear he understood.

"Igarashi, back in your seat," Aizawa scolded tiredly, with little heart behind it.

Mineta sat quivering with fear, on the verge of tears. Amari was impressed, and returning to her natural fair complexion. All that without a genjutsu or killing intent. Yukiko is awesome.

"Any, uh, any other questions?" she asked.

"I do," Yukiko said, settling back in her seat. Violet eyes met hers. "How long will you be in our world for?"

The kunoichi smiled sadly. "Another day, two at the most." Yukiko frowned and her eyes fell. "Don't get me wrong, I want to learn more about this world and get to know you guys better without the persona of the Last Shinobi." Mostly Yukiko and Midoriya. "But…I miss my home. I miss my friends and family. I miss…so much I took for granted, like the sunrise over the training grounds, the way the sky looks without buildings, the grass and how it felt beneath my skin as I lay in a heap of sweat after training. The stars… Oh, if you could see the night sky without the light pollution… I miss the feeling of home, you know."

"I get that," Yukiko nodded.

"We'll have time to talk later," Amari promised. "For now, I think we should get on with the review. You guys still have other classes today, if I recall correctly."

"They do," Aizawa agreed. "We'll do this by seating arrangement, starting with Aoyama then going down his row." He directed his attention to his students. "As I mentioned earlier, there was a purpose to the Pop Quiz. On one hand, it was a lesson of humility. Some of you have grown irrationally arrogant since the Sports Festival, and by your performances, it's clear a large majority of you forgot your experiences at the U.S.J. Yūhi was set on you to crush your false sense of ego and told to target your insecurities. Now Class 1-B won't let you forget this defeat at the hands of a girl two years your junior."

If Class 1-A had been balloons at that moment, Aizawa's statement acted as a needle and popped them mercilessly. The dread was palpable. Is Class 1-B their rivals or something?

"Never forget you are still only first year trainees. All of you have a long road ahead of you before you can call yourselves Pro's," Aizawa stated. "Anyway, the Pop Quiz was also a test of how well you reacted under intense pressure. Could you fight and protect at the same time? Could you work seamlessly as a team to overcome a greater threat? Could you overcome fear? Could you steel your hearts as friends fell around you?

"These were all lessons interwoven into the Pop Quiz, to name a few of the non-personal ones." Aizawa rubbed his hand over his rough and unshaven stubble. "Honestly, we didn't know the full extent of Yūhi's power. It's a good thing she went out of her way to teach all of you. If she hadn't, the Pop Quiz would've ended quickly without much of a fight."

Amari shrugged and crossed her arms over her belly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, honestly. We're just in different leagues."

Class 1-A fell further into depression. Amari winced and giggled nervously internally. Hehe, I don't think my attempt to make them feel better helped at all.

"Is that how I sound? Is this what the others feel when I say things like that?" Todoroki commented beneath his breath.

"It comes down to more experience," All Might swept in to save the day. "Think of it like a video game! You kids play those, right? Ranked among your peers there are those who are higher leveled and more experienced, like Young Igarashi and Young Todoroki, while some of you have only begun to gain experience with your Quirks since earning your place here. But this is a personal ranking among friends! If you broaden the pool of talent to upperclassmen and rookie Pro's, all of you would be grouped together in the lower levels!"

He then swept Amari off her feet abruptly. The kunoichi let out a startled 'eep!' and struggled to gain her bearings from her new seat on his giant shoulder.

"Young Yūhi is a Pro level player! A champion! She takes on harder difficulty missions and trains with veterans to gain larger boosts of experience! That's why we had her wear weights for the first half of the Pop Quiz; it was a handicap to give you all a fighting chance! Pretty clever, right?"

"Wait, she was wearing weights?" Sero questioned.

"Yes! Those cuffs on her ankles and wrists weren't just for show. She was carrying a quarter of her body weight while fighting you."

"Oh man, that's intense! And she still pummeled us," Kirishima gawked.

Blushing at the sound she made, Amari struggled not to bury her face into her hands from the embarrassment. "Mr. All Might, can you please set me down now?"

"Of course!" He placed her gently back onto her feet. "Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment, I forget my manners! Ha ha ha!"

"It's no big deal," she reassured, blushing.

"Don't encourage his irrational behavior," Aizawa sighed. "Anyway, let's not waste more time."

Amari nodded and directed her attention to Yuga Aoyama. He rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, smiling with a sparkle in his eyes. She had to balance praise with lessons they needed to learn, otherwise she would undo all of the hard work of diminishing their egos. Right. She could do that.

This is training for when you become a Jōnin Sensei. You need to be able to teach and articulate your lessons in a way any student can understand, no matter what their personality traits are.

After a breath, she began. "Yuga Aoyama passed by my standards. Under Yaoyorozu's leadership, he showed signs of bravery I didn't expect, given what I observed before the Pop Quiz. He was able to use his Quirk to the best of his current ability, too, maintaining his distance and firing it without ever endangering his comrades. He also held his ground. He never abandoned his comrades in fear, although he was immensely afraid.

"Another thing I'd like to note is he endured through the personal suffering his Quirk causes him, all to save Dark Shadow and continue fighting our Dragon Transformation. He could've given up, but he kept firing until his stomach could no longer bear it. That's praise worthy. And though I'm uncertain of his intentions, he fired Kyoka Jiro up in the moment to attack with greater strength."

Kyoka Jiro blushed, the points of her earphone jacks tapping together nervously. She was probably praying the particulars weren't discussed. Yuga Aoyama, on the other hand, was glowing.

"However, Aoyama, you let a few moments where you could deal damage against me pass by. You allowed arrogance and your desire to outshine others overcome your better judgement. Also you said you have no flaws, when you do. Vanity alone won't make you a Hero. From what I've learned, there is no short supply of vain Heroes, so don't rely on it to make you stand out. It'll only make you fade into the background. Work on accepting your flaws, that way you can try to better yourself. It's not easy, but it is worthwhile.

"I don't know everything about this Hero society, like how much image matters. But, in my opinion, a Hero doesn't shine because of a dazzling cape or fancy words. Let your heroic actions speak for themselves, Aoyama. I do believe you can become a Hero. So be brave. Be fierce. Be a shining knight because of what you do, not how you look. Do you understand?"

Aoyama nodded once. "I do, Mademoiselle Yūhi."

"Overall, I agree with Yūhi's assessment," Aizawa said when Amari finished. "We'll need to continue improving on your resilience to your Quirk's negative effects. But if you seriously work at it and take her advice, there's a chance you'll survive U.A. and become a real Hero."

"There is no substitute for hard work," All Might added. "But you surprised me, Young Aoyama. You showed a true hero's spark when it really mattered. Grab hold of it and don't let it go. Keep pressing forward on your path to become a shining Hero."

Aoyama sat up a little straighter. "Of course!"

Amari drew her eyes to Mina Ashido. The pink and bubbly girl sank in her seat, visibly nervous on what judgement would be made.

"During the first part of the Pop Quiz, Mina Ashido was too terrified to act. For the first portion, I'd say she failed." The pink girl's head and shoulders fell. "However, she was also separated from any kind of leadership, due to how I positioned myself. And with her Quirk, it would be dangerous for her to throw acid wildly in an attempt to hit a fast moving target. She was conscious of that, but without leadership she would've been an easy fatality.

"During the second half, she showed a different side. Despite seeing me and Atsuko eliminate Tsuyu Asui, Ochaco Uraraka, Mashirao Ojiro, Tenya Iida and Denki Kaminari, she purposefully drew me away from their position at the risk of her own life and revealed a high level of flexibility, evasion and a firm grasp of how to use her Quirk for more than attacking.

"Also, she was one of the few people to physically damage me. Had I not been fatigued, I would've given her more time to show me what she could do, but I was slowing down. Knowing the Quirks I would still have to counter, I couldn't risk prolonging the battle."

"Mm," Aizawa hummed in agreement. "So, pass or fail?"

"Fail."

The entire classroom snapped their attention to Mina Ashido, gasping in shock as she made her own judgement. Amari waited to speak, intrigued by what she would say.

"Honestly," Ashido rubbed the back of her neck, "you were right about everything you said. I haven't been doing well with my studies. I've goofed off a lot when I have this amazing opportunity to be at this school. And when everyone was being hurt, all I did was run and stand frozen in fear. I wasn't very heroic."

"Yeah, but, we were all scared, Mina. And this is half your grade at stake!" Kirishima argued.

"I know!" she groaned dramatically. "But… You were scared, too, Kirishima and you didn't let it stop you from trying to protect me and others. I can't get stronger or better if I keep skating by. I have to take this more seriously, and if that battle had been real, I wouldn't have survived. So that's my decision! Fail me! I'll make it up in the Final and in all the work that comes after!"

"As you wish," Amari replied. "Use this failure as a platform to grow from, Mina Ashido. If you need help with schoolwork, seek out a tutor who doesn't give you answers, but helps you learn how to think through and solve the problems. Apply yourself in every area so you can become a Pro."

"Right!"

"Well, I must say that was very mature of you, Young Ashido," All Might said. He gave her a thumbs up. "Keep it up!"

"Don't let it just be words, Ashido," Aizawa said. "Follow through with it."

"I'll do my best!"

Next up was Tsuyu Asui. The frog girl observed Amari with a curious expression, pointer finger pressed to her chin.

"Tsuyu Asui passed," the kunoichi stated plainly. "Honestly, I can't think of any critiques to give you. You were brave, calm and controlled in spite of the terror. You used your Quirk perfectly to battle me in the few instances we exchanged blows. You were focused. Atsuko and Osamu were impressed by your scouting abilities, which is high praise. And you sacrificed your body to save Ojiro, however briefly that might have been." Amari smiled. "Well done, Tsuyu Asui. You impressed me."

"Us as well," Atsuko added. "You would make a fine shinobi."

"Indeed," Osamu nodded his beak.

Tsuyu Asui blushed and smiled. "Ribbit, ribbit!"

"You have the ability to be a guardian and pillar among your peers, Tsuyu Asui," she continued. "Lead by example. Reach out to others who need help. Lift up your peers and guide them to their strength so that you may all stand strong against the threats ahead of you. Inspire them."

"I'll try," Asui nodded. "But…I'm not really sure how to inspire them."

The kunoichi smiled. "Yes you do. You're already doing it."

"Ribbit?"

"Trust your heart, Tsuyu Asui. It'll lead you down the right path."

Amari left it at that.

"I have nothing substantial to add," Aizawa said with a shrug. "Keep up your training, Asui. And think about what Yūhi said."

"Great work, Young Asui!" All Might congratulated.

The review of the next four students went by quicker. Tenya Iida passed due to his leadership, organizational skills and teamwork. Amari left Ochaco Uraraka's fate in Aizawa's and All Might's hands, having little personal interaction with the girl except for two physical encounters. In the end, she passed due to her teamwork and ability to catch Amari with her Quirk. Amari reminded her to continue honing her combat abilities then moved onto the next.

Mashirao Ojiro, despite being injured and taken down, passed. He showed a calm temperament and bravery despite injury and fear, and managed to work together with other students to combat her. When it came to critiquing him, Amari pointed out the straight-forward nature of his fighting style and offered tips on how to improve it in conjunction with his tail.

Aizawa overruled her attempt to pass Denki Kaminari.

"He should've electrified you and any classmates in the vicinity then asked for forgiveness later. Had he done so, he would've prevented the total damage you caused," Aizawa stated. "On top of that, if he actually had support gear to aid his Quirk, he could've been more helpful instead of relying on Asui to throw him at you while under the influence of Uraraka's Quirk."

"Ah, man!" Kaminari slouched in his seat.

"Don't whine, it's irrational. Fill out a form and upgrade your equipment."

Next to review was Eijiro Kirishima. He sat stiff in his seat, on knives edge in concern at how his performance would be rated. Up until Kaminari, only Mina Ashido had failed—a path she had chosen for herself for a mature reason. Seeing his friend fail due to Aizawa overruling Amari's decision couldn't have been easy on his nerves.

"Eijiro Kirishima passed," Amari said. He missed a breath. "Not only did he constantly prove that he was willing to throw himself in front of his classmates to protect them, he didn't lose heart. He inspired Todoroki to keep fighting even when heavily injured. He admitted his fear, but swore not to back down. He refused to give in or fail or stand on the sidelines any longer, holding true to the path he has chosen for himself when faced with death. In my world, we call that sticking to your nindo, your ninja way.

"In short," she smiled at the boy, "you were a proud shield today, Eijiro Kirishima."

Tears welled in his eyes, she noticed.

"You'll need to increase your durability, if that's possible," she continued. "Your Quirk's greatest weakness is that it can't withstand continued abuse over long periods of time. Improve that and your speed, and it won't matter if your attacks are straightforward. You'll be a sword and shield that can run right through any enemy.

"Also, like Asui, you have a heart, morals and spirit that people gravitate towards. You too can become a guardian and pillar of this generation of Heroes." She smiled. "So stick to your path, Eijiro Kirishima. Become not just a shield and a sword, but a beacon that brings people together and lifts them up. Inspire your generation to be better. Think you're up to it?

He wiped his arm over his eyes and nodded rapidly. "I'll…I'll do my best, Miss Yūhi!"

"This is…" Sniffling dragged Amari's and Aizawa's eyes to the Number One Pro Hero, currently hiding his face behind his hand. "This is almost too much for my heart to bear."

"Are you serious right now?" Aizawa drawled.

"I am very proud of Young Kirishima's final stand. He moved the auditorium to tears, and I was just… No! Come on, All Might!" He began to slap his own leg. "Pull yourself together!"

Amari hid a giggle behind her hand. Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Admittedly, he was quite inspiring," Osamu said thoughtfully, amused by the situation.

"Yes. I believe he inspired Young Haya to attack without restraint. Was a Dragon Flame Jutsu truly necessary?" Atsuko probed teasingly.

"I- I was caught up in the moment!" she retorted, blushing.

"Mmhm," Atsuko hummed in laughter.

"Atsuko, you're teasing me!"

"I am, yes. It entertains me."

"Osamu, help me."

"I'm afraid my wings are bound, Lady Haya. Stay strong and endure," he teased.

"Don't be so troublesome," she whined. "Can't you see how defenseless I am here?"

"Oh yes, quite defenseless, indeed. A regular chicklet."

"Not you, too!"

At that moment, Amari sensed the general thought pattern of the classroom through their silence and expressions. After all the serious talks of soldiers, wars and bloodshed, after all the terror she foisted onto them, she was still just a regular girl. They could finally see beyond the Villain façade to the person beneath, a person with friends who teased and flustered her.

Someone far less intimidating and frightening than the Last Shinobi.

Aizawa handled Hanta Sero, Koji Koda and Rikido Sato while All Might pulled himself together and Amari slouched and pouted in defeat at the hands of her truest comrades. All three would pass for their teamwork, and for the latter two their hard work in battling the dragon transformation of Osamu and her Shadow Clone.

Amari apologized to Sero for breaking his arm.

Mezo Shoji earned top marks for his performance. His calm attitude, the strategic use of his Quirk, the protection he provided to Hagakure and his classmates in battle, as well as his bravery in facing the dragon transformation, holding it back so Jiro could retreat with the keeled over Aoyama couldn't go understated.

"Impressive work, Shoji. Keep it up," Aizawa praised.

"Thank you, sir."

Kyoka Jiro also passed. Her performance in both parts of the Pop Quiz earned the rocker girl top marks. She worked fluidly with her classmates, never stopped fighting and protected her comrades on several occasions. All in all, she needed to work on close-combat skills and perhaps upgrade her equipment to be effective at multiple ranges.

Following Jiro was Yukiko Igarashi. The violet eyed student was leaning forward in her seat, pencil in hand to draw the eraser end behind her friend's ear, tickling her with a mischievous grin on her face.

"What'd I tell you, Kyoka? You stressed yourself out for nothing. The way you worked together, maybe you and Aoyama should form a two-man team and call yourselves Twinkling Heartbeats," she teased.

Jiro flinched away from the eraser, cheeks pink. "Shu- shut up, Yukiko!"

Igarashi snapped back in her seat, jolted by a surprise attack of Earphone Jacks. Her grin didn't fall, though.

Aizawa didn't appear fazed or surprised by the interaction, or prepared to dole out a punishment for it. Amari hid a giggle behind her hand, but that didn't silence the noise, causing Jiro to blush a deeper shade of red, avert her eyes and cover her face behind her hands.

"Okay," the kunoichi giggled, "Yukiko Igarashi passed. But my interactions with her were meant to teach all of you as well. There was a reason I imparted tampered pieces of my past onto all of you, and it was the same reason I was relentless in preaching my ideals and feelings. Do you know why? Someone who isn't Yukiko, I mean."

"You were trying to manipulate us," Bakugo scoffed.

"Amazing," Amari said coldly. "Simply amazing. After everything I said and did to you, you still can't see beyond your own skewed view of reality. But I'll be with you and your stellar performance soon enough."

Bakugo sniffed and turned his head away. "Whatever."

"Anyone else?"

Shoto Todoroki raised his hand. "It was to show you were a victim of your circumstances. Most of this class is used to seeing Heroes and Villains as just that—righteous Heroes and despicable Villains. You changed that by revealing your past, your motives and your feelings. Using the same video game analogy from earlier, saving you from yourself became an optional objective that granted higher rewards."

"…What are video games exactly?" Amari asked.

"Complicated to explain," Aizawa stated. "Essentially he said your shinobi mission gained a new parameter necessary to fulfill your mission successfully."

"Oh. Right," she nodded. "I was humanizing myself to you. It's easy to fight a 'dumb Villain' because you've dehumanized them. You've decided from the start they are your enemy, that they aren't anything more than an evil scumbag who deserves to be beaten and imprisoned, as you gain accolades and continue to live your lives. In fact, the majority of you dehumanized Yukiko Igarashi at the start of your school year."

An uncomfortable silence swarmed the classroom. Eyes averted away from her. Amari crossed her arms over her belly.

"I saw it with my own eyes how you looked at her. How you cast her off as just a Villain playing at being a Hero. You didn't even bother to consider her circumstances or her feelings. How is that heroic? How can you hope to call yourselves Heroes if you don't even believe someone is capable of redemption?

"I'm not saying there aren't evil Villains who deserve to have every bone in their body broken for the pain they've caused. I'm not saying every Villain you fight will be reachable through words or actions. It's an unfortunate reality, but that's the way it is. We can't save everyone.

"It'll be up to all of you to make that judgement in the field. Your first priority must always be protecting innocent life or saving your comrades. After that, only you'll be able to tell if the Villain you're fighting is someone who can be saved. Never forget that people can be victims of their circumstances. Not everyone gets a fair chance. Not everyone gets a happy life without pain. Sometimes people have no choice but to play the cards they are dealt, and hope they can get a better hand if they survive long enough."

She let the uncomfortable silence hang for a pregnant moment. Then spoke again.

"Atsuko has shared her wisdom with me on several occasions. One lesson has always stuck out, though. She told me the Uchiha Clan lost their way many years ago, though not without reason. But reasons alone do not excuse the darkness many of my clansmen embraced wholeheartedly.

"What she said next, I have held in my heart and tried to never forget while fighting any enemy. She said, 'We can all paint ourselves as gallant knights of our own stories, and how easy it is to paint outsiders as atrocious villains who mean to sabotage you, but it takes greater courage to accept your failings and admit to the wrongs you have committed.'

"And I want all of you to remember that in the future. I've caught myself a few times in that same tunnel vision, where I began to look at my enemies as merely that: enemies I had to fight and destroy to protect what I held precious. But people are more nuanced than that. Seek the light in your enemies, and endeavor them to embrace it the same way Yukiko tried to save me. People can have hearts worth redeeming, but you'll only ever find them if you look."

It was food for thought. But the lesson was there now, and she was sure it resonated in the hearts of the class. They'll understand in time.

"Overall, Yukiko's performance was amazing. She did her best to save me from myself, and when finally pushed to fight, she didn't hold back in the slightest. Your power is something else, and your punches really hurt."

"Heh, back at you," Yukiko chuckled.

Amari turned to Aizawa to see if he had anything to say. With the floor his, the disheveled teacher pulled no punches.

"Although you passed, it's by the skin of your teeth and only because of yours and Yūhi's interactions. You held back too long and your classmates were hurt because of that. On top of that, Yūhi turned you and Bakugo against each other. Both of you wasted precious time arguing when you should've been preparing for the second battle. Also, your teamwork with him was sub-par, at best."

Yukiko took the sharp critique and nodded in agreement to most his points. "Teamwork is a two way street," she commented.

"I'll deal with Bakugo when we get to him. But this is just as much about your unwillingness to work with him as it is his. Don't argue with me. Do better next time, Igarashi."

Igarashi frowned but nodded. "Fine."

It didn't sound fine.

"I don't have much to add," All Might admitted. "However, you continue to show the Hero heart I've always known you possess, Young Igarashi. I'm proud to see how far you've come since joining U.A. when it comes to your attitude and your Quirk. Keep up the great work."

"I'll do my best, All Might."

Fumikage Tokoyami was up next. No one debated that he passed, or that his and Dark Shadow's performance were impressive. The only critique to his performance came to how quickly he demoralized when it all seemed hopeless. Beyond that was continued training to gain mastery over his Quirk. Tokoyami took their advice with a sagely nod.

"Before we begin with Shoto Todoroki's performance, I owe you an apology," Amari said. "I said you were just like your father to incense you and force eye contact. I knew it was a sensitive subject, so…" Amari bowed her head. "I sincerely apologize."

"Don't worry about it," Todoroki replied calmly. "A Villain will know I'm related to that man. If I lose focus because of a taunt, I deserve to lose."

"Honestly," Amari came up from her bow, "your combination of Quirks is impressive. But you do rely on them too much. Against an enemy like me, without any sensory abilities, blinding yourself with ice attacks can be a fatal error. I don't know if you can combine your powers like Yukiko did, or what other applications are possible with either your flames or ice, but you'll need more tricks than launching fire and ice repeatedly at long- or mid-range against a highly skilled opponent."

"Yeah," Todoroki agreed.

"Other than that, your performance was impressive. You passed." She flicked her eyes to Toru Hagakure. "Um, I didn't really give you much of a chance. Sorry about that, and for hurting you. I don't know how common eye Quirks are, or if they have the same vision as the Byakugan, but that's not exactly something you can train to avoid. What you can do is learn to silence your footsteps so no one can hear you moving around."

"Oh, right. I'll totally work on that! But…" Somehow, despite being invisible, Amari could tell Hagakure was blushing. "You…didn't actually see me, right?"

Amari blushed and averted her eyes. "…Please forgive me. I never meant to…"

"Forgive you? Forgive me! I'm the one who… Ohh, this is so embarrassing!" Hagakure was shifting awkwardly in her seat.

"Is it really?" Yukiko asked genuinely. "It's not like the boys saw you. And you don't have anything Amaririsu hasn't seen before. Think of it like changing in the locker room after training."

"I suppose," Toru's clothes visibly slouched.

"She saw through Hagakure's invisibility! She saw her naked!" Mineta was on the verge of a bloody nose. "What does she look like? Please, I have to know!"

Aizawa's hairs stood on end. His scarf shot around Hagakure, Bakugo and Midoriya and ensnared Mineta. His red eyes gleamed like Amenominakanushi, searing into Mineta's soul.

"We'll come back to Bakugo and Midoriya in a moment," he decided for everyone. Mineta was quivering in fear. "Minoru Mineta failed. He will also have after school detention, during which he will write an apology to all of his classmates for his failure and for his lack of decency. And should I find that inadequate, I will give Yūhi permission to correct your behavior however violently she sees fit." He tightened his scarf, causing Mineta to choke on his terror. "Am I understood, Mineta?"

"Ye- yes sir!"

"Good." Aizawa's hair fell and his scarf returned to its natural state. "Now then, Bakugo. You also failed the Pop Quiz."

"Tch!"

"By this point I think it's obvious why this decision has been made. The only way to defeat Yūhi was through teamwork; that was one of the main purposes of this test. She wanted all of you to put your egos and self-preservation aside for the sake of the group. You failed that. Not only did you fail that, you fired one of your gauntlets at Igarashi on the pretense she should move out of the way herself."

Aizawa's eyes bore down on the ash-blonde. "There's a difference between trusting in a fellow Pro to handle themselves and putting their lives in danger recklessly, for the sake of ego and winning praise. Yours and Igarashi's vehement disdain for each other and refusal to work together caused many of your classmates to incur severe injuries. Furthermore, you let Yūhi rile you up again and again, losing focus, which ultimately led to you attacking without thought or reason.

"Work on that, Bakugo. If a barbed taunt is all it takes to set you off, you'll never become the kind of Hero you want to be. You're not a kid anymore." He flicked his eyes to Igarashi. "Neither of you are. The world doesn't care about this grudge you two have against each other. Villains don't care. They'll use it against you, turn you into enemies and take innocent lives while you bicker and fight each other. Get your heads straight, or I'll force you to."

Neither said a word, nor did the animosity die out. This is deeper than a few conversations and scolding's can fix, Amari thought. And to be honest, I can't blame Yukiko for how she feels. Not after everything I saw.

"Anything to add, Yūhi?" Aizawa asked.

"Nothing that you didn't already say," she said. And nothing that will improve this situation or his attitude. She looked at Bakugo. He has talent and ambition. But his ego is his worst enemy, as is his inferiority complex. It's because he has power I want him to help and protect others. However…I just don't see that happening, not anytime soon and not without him gaining some maturity.

I don't see him as a Hero.

Drawing her eyes to the fluffy green-haired boy behind him, Amari frowned slightly. "Honestly, I'm kind of torn on whether or not you passed or failed, Izuku Midoriya. Your final performance wasn't bad, and you did well working together with your classmates, but my taunts about All Might made you lose sight of yourself. You ignored Igarashi's order to move and help your classmates in an effort to protect her, when she didn't need to be protected at that moment. They did.

"As a leader of any kind, you need to be able to read a situation and act appropriately. I'm still learning this. But in that circumstance, you only gained further injuries by interfering when at any moment Atsuko could have swooped down and killed any of your classmates left in the open."

Midoriya ducked his chin down, a sad but understanding expression on his face.

"Also, when given a potentially real ultimatum, you didn't act. That, too, is a choice. One that would've been fatal for both Yukiko and Bakugo."

"I…wanted to save them both," Midoriya mumbled.

"I know. And I would feel the same way in your shoes," Amari nodded. "I was once asked if given the choice, would I choose between the path where nothing I love is left, or the path where nothing I do is right. I claimed I would make my own path, and I plan to forge my own way forward towards a different future. But…"

She lifted up her left arm and looked at the scars. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself and your soul for the sake of others. Had your answer been to take your life instead, I would've accepted that and you would've passed with flying colors. Self-sacrifice, that is the truest nature of any hero, whether in your world or mine.

"Still, you and Asui were able to rally your peers and hold me off long enough for Todoroki to separate us. And you did coordinate good strategies in the second half. Unless there are objections, I'll pass you by the skin of your teeth."

"Fine," Aizawa sighed. "But there's plenty you still need to work on Midoriya. I also noticed you injured yourself again to fight back. Don't backtrack on improving your Quirk. The Old Lady only made a one-time exception for this Pop Quiz, but otherwise she won't keep healing you if you break more bones."

"Ri- right," he nodded.

The final student was Yaoyorozu. Due to her contributions in the second half, her failure in the first was overlooked, earning her a passing grade. Amari, All Might and Aizawa went over her performance and failings, each encouraging her in their own ways to improve on them.

Amari made sure to strike her previous point home.

"You lost one fight. One. That isn't a reason to fall apart and begin doubting yourself, Momo Yaoyorozu. You have an incredible intellect and an amazing Quirk at your disposal. Focus on the present. Focus on what you can do better next time and train to never make the same mistakes again.

"My friend, Sakura, she didn't have your Quirk. She had basic taijutsu and a great grasp of chakra control—that's it. It wasn't much. It wasn't groundbreaking. On our first mission, my clan-brother was placed in a state of pseudo-death, which we believed was permanent. I overestimated myself and tried to fight the Demon of the Hidden Mist on my own, nearly died and then gained these scars in a foolish and reckless act," she gestured to her left arm. "My best friend exhausted himself. My Sensei was injured. Do you know what happened to Sakura?"

She paused. No one tried to answer the rhetorical question.

"Nothing," she continued in a soft voice. "Not a single bruise or cut. Not a single injury or physical encounter against our enemies, because all of us ran ahead and shielded her from danger, like she was a porcelain doll. From the moment the final battle ended to the moment we returned home, Sakura was consumed by a feeling of inadequacy. Of failure. She began to doubt she should even be a shinobi, because all of us were so far ahead of her."

She made a gesture to Yukiko. "Yukiko noticed how you felt, just as I noticed hers. Sakura and I weren't even friends. She hated my guts, because I was everything she wasn't: strong, capable and confident as a shinobi. Overconfident and blind to my own faults, honestly. In her immaturity, rather than admit her weakness, she held a grudge against me.

"Yet now we're very close. I reached out to her, I supported and encouraged her and helped guide her towards her strength. I didn't make her strong. Sakura did that on her own, through her own blood, sweat and tears. She recognized her weakness and she acted. She 'failed' to help us in the Land of Waves, so she swallowed her pride and animosity towards me and accepted the hand I reached out to her.

"What Sakura wanted most was to become stronger, to be someone who didn't need to be sheltered and protected or seen as a weak link in a strong chain.

"Now she's catching up. Now no one has to protect her; she's even protected me on occasion. Now that you know this, I expect you to follow her example," Amari demanded rather than asked. Yaoyorozu needed a firm shove. "Failure is how we learn. How we grow. But only you can choose to change. Don't make failure a shackle that holds you back. All right?"

"I'll- I'll do my best!" Yaoyorozu declared.

When all was said and done, their classes were about to begin again. All Might took his leave first; Amari sensed his time was nearly up. She bid a farewell and sauntered towards the door with Aizawa.

As the disheveled teacher prepared to shut the door, he looked at his class and said:

"Oh, by the way, the Pop Quiz wasn't actually worth half your grade. That was also a rational deception."

Then he slid the door shut.

Their cries of disbelief left Amari in stitches.

---

Review Response to Guest from Jul 24: Thank you for reading! I'm happy this story has managed to be so fun and entertaining to read, and even re-read at times. Hope you enjoyed everyone's reaction to it all being a test and everything else that happened in this chapter. I'm also looking forward to writing Shippuden.

Thank you for the review!

Review Response to Guest from Jul 26: Thank you very much! I'm happy you've enjoyed the characters and the overall rhythm and flow of the chapters and story. The My Hero arc has definitely turned out both longer and better than I anticipated it would be, but it's been a blast to write and all of the reactions everyone reading it has been awesome. Hope you enjoyed this update!

Thank you for the review!

Review Response to ChillinInKonoha: We'll have to wait and see how things go from this point on. But I can guarantee there will a little more personal time with the others, beyond teaching, and other special surprises I have in store. I can't go into too deep detail without spoiling the upcoming parts of this arc, but I I look forward to seeing how everyone reacts.

There are definitely some similarities between Kakashi/Aizawa and Iruka/All Might. If or when any return to the My Hero Academia arc happens it'll likely be in Shippuden at some point, and it would depend on the circumstances if she would have any friends on that adventure. I'm not against it. But it's so far out from where I am currently, I haven't thought too much about it. I'd also want it to have purpose. This arc, while partially a decompression from the Sound Four and Kasai stuff with plenty of lightheartedness and seriousness, is also laying bricks down for a future fanfic based on Yukiko and the My Hero Academia world I want to write. Right now its just a fun thing, but it also has to have an impact on the characters so, when I have time to write it, Amari's arrival in the world will have a lasting effect on that story. I'd want the same for another visit.

We'll have to see how the situation with Stone and war turns out.

Hm. Yes and no. I'd add in Jiraiya as a sort of parental figure, post-time skip. Iruka definitely fits into the father role for Naruto. But I'd also say that Kakashi also fills in a role as Amari's father figure, a little more than Asuma because she's around him constantly.

I'm not sure Temari needs to teach Amari snark and sass as much as they bring it out of each other.

Thank you for the review!