Former HQ of Hachi Academy, Europe, one year ago
"RHAAA! Fuck you, Fumiyo!"
Ai yells, angry.
"Do not be rude, I said! Master Hamato will be there soon, and he has important things to tell us about!"
Fumiyo answers in a moralizing voice.
Arisa is watching this common scene as always, but, since the former third years students, including the former leader, have left after being graduated, she's now the one who have to calm them down."
"My dear friends, you know I love you from the heart… But in case you don't want to be the next on my donors list, I suggest you to shut up!"
Arisa says, finishing her sentence by screaming.
Ai and Fumiyo immediately calm down. Fumiyo politely apologize while Ai is pouting.
And right after…
"Jeez, it won't be easy without them…"
Hamato, who just joined them, says in a defeatist voice.
"Ah, mister Hamato! Glad to see you joyful…"
Arisa seductively tells her master.
Hamato smiles in return, to the three of them, who all smile in return.
"Sit down, I have three… Or rather, four announcements for you."
Hamato says by sitting on his chair.
The three girls are now serious looking, they know their master is going to choose a new leader for the elite students squad and maybe introduce them to new comrades."
"So, let's start with the one you're probably waiting the most, the leader position now belongs to Arisa."
Hamato claims, no one is reaction to his declaration among their students, who were expecting that choice.
"No contestation? Great, the next one now… Yû, you can come."
Following those words, the door on Hamato left side opens, and a young girl with four dogs enter.
Yû walk to Hamato's side, lazy looking, but the man doesn't even look at her.
"Here you, your new comrade."
Yû gives a quick look at her new comrades, without real emotion.
"Hello…"
She says, as if she wants to leave as soon as possible.
"Nice to meet you, Yû!"
Fumiyo joyfully says.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, beauty…"
Arisa weirdly says.
"Hi…"
Ai says with a sinister smile.
Even if Yû didn't come to make new friends, it seems those three girls actually... Caught her attention.
"Si down Yû."
Hamato orders, Yû immediatly obeys.
"Yû comes from one of our Yoseikan Budo dojo, we noticed her incredible talents while she was 17, one year was enough for her to be graduated in a shinobi high school in this continent…"
Hamato explains while Yû is walking to join one of the free chairs.
She takes places at Ai's side, who looks interested in her new ally after Hamato's description, like the two other elite members by the way.
"Alright, we're doing it quick and well, let's continue with the next announcement…"
The girls are even more interested than before, because they have no idea what Hamato is going to talk about now.
"Our school was girls only, a tradition from the past, the kind of traditions our leaders like so much… But it's time to evolve, that's why I'm telling you that, for now, Hachi Girls Academy has become Hachi Mixed Academy."
Hamato claims in a confident voice.
This piece of niews atonishes, not to say shocks, the elite students, including Yû.
Not like they're against haing male students in their school, but this sudden change is more than surprising.
"No objection?"
Hamato demands by smiling, he perfectly knows no one is going to object.
The four girls shake their heads as a negative answer.
"Perfect! I wanted to tell you know, to limit questions…"
Hamato claims.
"Heitan, come here, my boy!"
Hamato says in a kind, almost paternal, voice.
The door at Hamato's right side opens, and a young man with strangely feminine features enters.
"Here our first male students, the fifth elite students, and also my little protégé, Heitan."
The young man gets close, not really in a confident way, and by shyly looking at her new comrades.
New comrades who are astonished by the androgynous look of the young man, but also not really convinced by the portrait given by their master.
An embarrassing silence reigns over the room for several seconds, then, the boy finally speaks.
"I'm pleased to meet you, I hope we will be able to get along."
He says by cheerfully smiling.
But what shocks the four elite is his incredibly pleasant voice, that sounds angelic.
'H-Hi…"
Ai hesitantly answers.
"Hi…"
Yû says, a little disturbed.
"Nice to meet you, cutie…"
Arisa seductively says while devouring Heitan with her eyes, who looks embarrassed by that.
"Nice to meet you!"
Fumiyo responds with her usual cheerful voice.
"Don't misjudge him because of his look, I personally looked after his formation since his young age, and he's… Amazing…"
Hamato claims with a sinister look.
Later
The five elite students got free time, Heitan is using it to take a walk inside the school with Hamato, without real purpose.
"So, what's your opinion, my little Heitan?"
Hamato asks.
"It's still too soon to give a proper judgement, but I think this school can help me to acquire useful competencies."
Heitan answers with a confident smile.
"Of course, I wouldn't have brought you there if it… Oh?"
Hamato starts, but stops when he notices an unusual presence.
Two Labrador retrievers just came for them, more specifically for Heitan it seems.
"Yû's dogs? Great! I wanted to pet them!"
Heitan says in a childish way before starting to pet the two dogs, dogs who look to enjoy the situation.
Hamato sighs by seeing that, but before he could say anything…
"Um? You like dogs?"
A female voice asks, it's Yû, came to take her dogs.
Heitan is astonished, but also embarrassed by the situation.
"Em… Yes, I love animals a lot… I'm sorry for petting them without your permission…"
Heitan answers, blushing.
Yû doesn't look angry, actually, she has a rare and little smile on her face.
"It's fine, they seem to like you, pet them as much as you want."
She says, reassuring Heitan.
"Okay, thank you…"
He shyly answers before being licked by one of the dogs.
Hamato, even if she knows about Yû's personality, isn't really surprised to see her getting along with Heitan since he's very good at this.
"I leave you there, Heitan, I have some important business to do…"
Hamato tells his student while leaving.
"See you later, mister!'
Heitan responds, now in his own at his new school.
Two days later
The five elite students are reunited in the Ninja Room, Heitan and Yû have started to get used to their new school.
However, they're facing a scene which they're still not familiar about for now…
"I kill them if I want!"
Ai yells.
"No, we must focus on the mission!"
Fumiyo answers, rising her voice.
Yû is annoyed, but she tries to ignore them.
Heitan is way more concerned, he fears it go wrong between them, and Arisa notices it.
"No need to worry, they're always acting like this…"
Arisa says in a comforting, but also a little desperate voice.
Heitan doesn't answer, and doesn't look really reassured.
Suddenly, Arisa throw herself on Heitan and put her arm on his shoulders, sticking on him.
"Anyway, is that true you're an AB-, darling?"
Arisa asks, smirking.
But she notices something strange on Heitan, he looks anguished by Arisa's move, not to say scared.
Arisa gets her arm off Heitan, which immediately calms him down.
"Heitan?"
She asks, curious.
"Oh, never mind it… To answer your question, yes, I'm AB-..."
Heitan, embarrassed, answers by nervously smiling.
Arisa, by hearing her new comrade's answer, completely forget what just happened and looks way too excited.
"Great! I guess you have no problem with me collecting a little of your blood…"
Arisa says by holding a syringe and smiling.
But strangely, this time, Heitan doesn't look scared, just astonished.
"Well, I already gave blood a few times ago, when I was 18… So, I don't mind."
He answers in a serious tone of voice.
Arisa wasn't expecting such an answer, but she's obviously happy to hear that.
"You are already part of the very short list of the people I am crazy about…"
Sge says, making Heitan blushes.
A week later
"Holy shit, Heitan! You were so good!"
Ai screams excited.
She and Heitan just comes back from their first mission together. Ai wasn't convinced, but after seeing Heitan in action, she completely changed her mind.
"Oh? What is it? It looks like you are getting along pretty well…"
Arisa highlights, looking at her comrades with curious eyes.
"Oh yeah! He slaughtered almost all our enemies mercilessly! You should have seen his enraged look… Just remembering it makes me feel… Um…"
Ai says by licking her lips, which make Heitan feels very bad.
"Really? That's unexpected of you, my dear…"
Arisa says in an astonished voice.
Heitan doesn't immediately react, but after a few seconds, his blushing face turns into an angry one.
"I hate good shinobi more than anything else in the world… That's how it is…"
He claims while clenching his fist, which sounds pleasant to Ai, but a little creepy to Arisa.
"I see…"
Arisa says, taking a step back.
"I think I just found my new favourite partner!"
Ai yells, jumping like an excited child.
A week later
Heitan just finished his training day, as usual, he's walking alone in the school corridors, lost in his mind.
Usually, no one come to bother him, but not this time…
"Heitan?"
A soft voice calls the young man.
"Fumiyo? Is something wrong?"
Heitan asks.
Fumiyo has something to ask him, but she hesitates for a moment before finally asking him.
"Is that true you are a very good singer?"
Fumiyo says, nervous.
"Uh? Well… People often tell me that, so, I guess I am."
Heitan answers, confused.
Fumiyo is glad to hear it, but she's still hesitant about her request.
"I… You know, I take care of seriously ill children, for free of course, and… I would like you to come with me to sing for them, please."
Fumiyo zsks, fearing a negative response.
"Eh? Well… If I can help, I accept…"
Heitan nervously answers.
"For real? Thank you so much! I am sure they will adore you."
Fumiyo joyfully reacts.
A few months later, Ninja Room
Hamato just summoned all the elite students… Or almost.
"We're there, mister Hamato, but we can't find Heitan…"
Arisa explains, sighing.
"Guess he's gone for a walk in the town again…"
Ai says, annoyed.
"Shall I send my dogs looking for him?"
Yû asks Hamato, knowing it's time the first time Heitan has to do it with Heitan.
But Hamato doesn't look angry, but rather… Not in the mood, even if he tries to hide it.
"No Yû… Come here, all of you, but no need to sit down…"
The girls are surprised by Hamato's reaction, but listen without asking anything.
"Natsuko, Eri, bring it there…"
Hamato orders.
The two students enters the room holding a stretcher with an apparently filled body bag on it.
The elite students aren't really astonished, each time a key target is brought, an intruder terminated, or a person linked to the school is murdered, they check the corpse. Arisa is by the way the best in the school at this.
The girls understand why they need to stand up, it's better to look. They're also curious to know the unlucky person they're going to examine.
Eri and Natsuko puts the stretcher on the table before softly pushing the body bag out of it.
Eri puts the stretcher out of the table, so, opening the bag is Natsuko's duty.
When the girls see Natsuko hesitant, they realize the two normal students look sorrowful, which is usually never the case.
Then, Natsuko do it, she opens the bag.
The girls freeze in horror when they see the corpse, not because it's butchered, but because they're familiar with its look.
"H-Heitan?"
Ai reacts, shocked.
"Yes, we found him in his room… He killed himself… Hanging…"
Hamato claims, his voice shows a kind of anger.
Yû looks very sad by this tragic piece of new, but she gets her cap down in order to hide it to the other.
Ai looks sad too, but more angry by the act of his favourite partner. She clenches her fist by telling in a low voice rude words toward him.
Fumiyo is trying to stay strong, but she can't help crying and can't even look at the dead body.
Arisa is completely devastated, she looks at the body a little closer, and notice a mark around his neck. She saw enough dead bodies to know it's from a hanging, like Hamato said.
"He didn't have any family anymore, no friends, nothing except us. So, his body will be destroyed, if you have anything to tell me, it's now."
A few minutes later
Hamato, the elite students, and several other students are in the crematorium of the school, the place where the bothering bodies are destroyed.
The four elite students, despite their obvious sorrow, all decided to stay noble and directly send the body for the cremation, without any last words for their former friend.
And even there, the other students didn't want to give him an individual farewell, even if Yuuma was very hesitant about it.
Some just didn't know what to say, some were afraid to cry in front of Heitan's body. He was very popular in this academy, especially after the concert he did a week ago.
One thing is sure, no one know why Heitan did it, they quickly understood he took this secret with him.
"The time has come…"
A staff member of the school tells Hamato.
"Do it…"
He answers without looking at him.
The staff member lowers a lever, the consequences is Heitan body brought in the crematory.
The door closes, and a single second later, a fire noise can be heard.
Many sighs, but also sobs can be heard too, but not a single word.
And only a few minutes later, the person working in the crematorium is the only one remaining.
This day puts an end to an era for Hachi Academy, even if nobody knew it at this moment.