So it has been a while, well a long while since I have updated this fic, but I have been getting busy lately with preparing for my new job that will hopefully bring some more stability for the future.

Also, given the current state of the fanfic website, I am not much in the writing mood given I cannot see good progress on the stories for nearly 2 weeks, which is bumming me out.

Try and enjoy the fic, and if you have complaints, please be polite and I will answer them.

Have fun.

Musutafu

Two weeks.

That was all the time U.A. High was given to think, train, strategize, and otherwise build up their chances for themselves for the Sports Festival that was about to start today.

Across the city in the very early hours that allowed the sun to shine at its best, with those taking advantage of that bright sun to start their early training right before the festivities started.

In this case, Mina Ashido was seen hurrying out of the Dojo, tying up her shoelaces and already in her U.A. training suit. She hoped to do a quick rundown of her exercises at least before the festival would begin, with a few hours, this could work.

"Let's go!"

…

Inside the studio home, Naruto was also awake and in his private study, busy working on his latest project. The blond was smiling in delight as he had reached the final page of writing.

Writing the latest edition of his Menma Novels, the first part of the Chunin Exams Arc was already out and it made quite a fortune, enough for his bank account to have triple digits in funding and enough to keep payments up with Erica's medical bills. Now, Konoha Crush was finished.

Naruto frowned at the finished book before him. This one…was a difficult one to write. He had no problems remembering the past events of his life: the training with Pervy Sage, the summoning scroll, the confrontation of Gaara with Shikamaru at the hospital, the preliminary fight against Neji, plus the other fights including his own against the Suna Jinchuuriki.

But it also included the more painful aspects of his life. For instance, remembering Pervy Sage brought an old ache to his heart that he had long shoved down years ago. Remembering Hiruzen's sacrifice was even more painful - an older scar that had erupted into an old nightmare at some point. He never remembered just how much screaming and blood there was until he was finally able to live in a moment of relative peace.

But enough about himself. Back to the story of his life.

He squinted at the product below him, knowing that, once again, it'll receive some controversy and potentially even unwanted changes. Gaara, after all, lived a similar, yet worse life than he did, spilling much blood just to try to fill the void in his heart, and he was still forgiven as if it was a minor error committed by a child.

No sympathy allowed for the devil, after all.

After taking a moment to think it over, he let out a sigh and closed the book.

"Screw it."

Tossing aside his pen, he placed the only copy into the small locker box hidden under his desk, deciding to bring it later to the publisher.

"That'll be the fourth novel you're gonna be publishing."

Smiling at Kurama's comment, Naruto turned around to his book cabinet featuring the first official copies of the works he has done:

Menma 1 : Road to Genin, betrayal of Mizuki Sensei.

Menma 2: Mission to the Land of Waves! The Zabuza Arc.

Menma 3: The Chunin Exams!

And then there was his latest one.

"Menma 4: Konoha Crush. Ha." And just like that, the moment was ruined with his harsh criticism. "I swear, if you're ever gonna have kits, I'm not letting you name them."

Naruto could only shake his head as he let out a laugh before he stood up and grabbed his bag. Making sure to pack his equipment and mask, he was going to need to be prepared for the Sports Festival.

Grabbing his shoes, he walked out of his study and into the hallway, noting the uncanny silence that filled the halls. He was about to turn the corner to the only entrance/exit of the building when-

"Ah~!"

Naruto's body stiffened as he slowly turned to the source of the noise.

*SHHHHFT*

A door slid open, and Naruto turned to see that it was Himiko Toga, clad in only a pair of pink shorts and a black T-shirt, her blonde hair in a messy state and the most satisfied grin on her face as she made her way to the bathroom, smelling awfully peculiar.

"Do you smell it? Because I can."

Then another foot stepped out into the hallway, this one being covered in black stockings.

Naruto quickly stepped out of sight so as to not get spotted.

He saw that the person coming out of Himiko's room was none other than Ochako Uraraka, who was hastily putting on her U.A. school uniform. Her hair was tied in a single ponytail, she was blushing so hard she reminded him of an apple.

Ochako, did you-

"Area's clear~" Himiko came back, skipping back to the brunette. "Mina's gone, and no sign of Naruto, so you can go now."

"I'm almost…finished." Ochako stated before standing up and showing herself to her blonde friend. "And? What do you think?"

"You look good, but you look better without those clothes," Himiko snickered with a perverted grin she did not hide, leaning her head forward. "How about we get that stench away in the bathroom? I can make it nice and easy."

It didn't help that Himiko's hand reached down to her skirt, but Ochako quickly slapped it away.

"Ah, that hurts-Hmmp!"

A bold move on her part, Ochako fully planted her lips over Himiko's. Kissing her and enjoying it as she even tip-toed to make it even more better, before the brunette parted her lips away.

A confident Ochako smiled at her and thanked her. "I really appreciate it, Himi. For last night - it's a real stress reliever."

The Toga girl blushed before she gave a toothy smile. "Always. And good luck on the Sports Festival."

"Thanks, see you later." Ochako made her way towards the door while waving her friend with benefits away. "Tell Sensei to watch it on the main channel!"

The two waved each other off before going their separate ways, with Himiko humming her way towards the shower as the front door was heard opening and closing. The oldest in the home then made his silent exit for a weird beginning of the day.

U.A. High

It was a spectacular morning. Fireworks popped in the air left and right as the streets were filled with cars and people of all shapes and sizes.

Dozens of journalists were being barred entry for the moment, their equipment confiscated much to their frustration.

"Well that's no fun!" a purple-haired reporter said to her cameraman. "Security breach or not, they still have nearly every hero on deck, especially Kitsune!"

"I heard it was Kitsune himself who asked to stop us," the cameraman grumbled. "I still think he doesn't like us much."

"One day, ONE DAY!" the reporter held her hand in conviction. "I will find out who this Kitsune is! That would be the biggest scoop in history!"

…

The vendors inside the school perimeter were trying to keep up with demand, with dozens if not hundreds of customers trying to buy something before entering the arena.

But walking among those civilians were also Pro-Hero patrols, which included Mt. Lady who was with Kamui Woods, and Death Arms, who were discussing the events they'll be hearing about.

"This year's students will be making one heck of an impression I'll say," Kamui hummed in thought before turning to his bigger colleague. "Death Arms, what do you think?"

"They've proven themselves already to some degree, but I am more interested in those freshmen," Death Arms grunted. "They should be scaringly powerful since Kitsune himself's tutoring most of those brats, even though most of them are already part of Uzumaki's Dojo."

"Ah, a great observation, I give you that," Kamui agreed, "Those kids have more than proven themselves at the USJ incident, even when they were outnumbered."

"Might be a good time to add that that dojo's got some strong girls," Mt. Lady said while looking around for some food. "I usually don't really care that much about these school events, but those kids from 1-A and 1-B are something else."

"Is it because you have a genuine interest in taking one of those girls under your wings," Death Arms asked, his arms crossed, "or is it because they're being tutored by Kitsune? 'Cause it's no secret by now that you have-"

"Finish that sentence…" Mt. Lady warned, pointing her purple-gloved finger at the buff man. "I'm warning you…"

Death Arms fell silent as he raised his hands in surrender. While they rivaled each other when it comes to skill and strength, her fury was unparalleled when it came to her private life and interests.

"Now, let's see if there is something to eat," Mt. Lady turned around happily. "I'm starving."

The trio continued to walk down the festival, joining the many civilians seen entering the stadium, both famous and underground heroes among them.

Watching from above the rooftop of the arena, a long distance away from the human eye, there was a patrol team that consisted of just Mirko and Ryuko, the two female Pro-Heroes who were watching the stadium being filled with people.

"We got a nice view, Mirko," the dragon lady herself watched with a chuckle, "I'll say, this brings back memories."

"Hmm?" Mirko looked distracted but turned to her friend. "How so?"

"Oh you know, our old days at U.A. silly," Ryuko smirked. "When we needed to show off three times a year to prove ourselves to the world, train hard for hours, team up with others, do Principle Nezu's crazy tasks-"

"Oh, please do not remind me," Mirko said with a chuckle. "I still have afterthoughts about it. I pity the brats."

The two heroines turned back towards the stadium, with the dragon woman asking a thought that was on her mind.

"I wonder how they're feeling now."

1-A Waiting Room

Most of the class was on edge. Legs tapping, fingers drumming, lips being bit, the entirety of Class 1-A were present, with no abstainers or quitters among them. Still, everyone there was trying to pull their spirits up.

"Ah, man!"

Mina was not among those visibly on edge. If anything, she was more irritated than concerned.

"I was totally hoping I could wear my costume," Mina complained. "I just did a little training beforehand, but now I got to stay in this thing the whole day?"

"At least everyone will be in uniforms," Ojiro told her while he was stretching his arms. "That makes things fair, right?"

"I wonder what they have in store for us in the first round," Rikido Sato mumbled, tumbling his thumbs in a blur.

"No matter what they prepare, we must persevere," Tokoyami said sagely, being one of the calmest. Still, he remained on edge, his shadow flickering. "But be prepared, for Kitsune-sensei himself is involved in this festival, so we must expect surprises."

Shoji was in agreement. 'Right."

At another table, the girls were doing much better at concealing their emotions, with some choosing to occupy themselves with whatever time they had left. Such as reading.

"Ugh," Jiro sounded uncomfortable reading a passage. "That sounds brutal…"

"Hmmm?" Momo looked confused at her friend, "What's wrong?"

"How that Gaara guy crushed that Rain Shinobi with his sand…messed up." Jiro then stiffened as she realized her blunder. "Oh, spoilers-"

"No need to worry, read that part already, *ribbit*," Tsuyu shrugged off. "You guys are reading the Chunin Exams of the Menma novels, right?"

Momo nodded with a smile. "Yes, I am re-reading the novel now because I heard that the writer is about to release his newest work really soon."

"How so?" Jiro asked with a raised eyebrow. "Your father told you he just dropped his writings at the publisher or something?"

"…" Momo found herself dumbfounded. "How did you know?'

"...Lucky guess, actually." The Earphone Jacked girl went back into her book, burying her nose into the pages.

Tsuyu turned her attention to her brunette friend who was in her own little world. Staring off into the distance, her eyes away from her own book, she seemed very lost in thought.

She also noticed a mark on her neck, one that was slightly red and small…

"So who kissed you?"

"Hmm?" Ochako reacted swiftly. "W-What?"

"The mark on your neck-" Tsuyu's mouth was covered by Ochako quickly. "Hmph!"

"Not too loud…he can hear you…"

"Hmm? Did I hear something?" Mineta looked around, appearing to stand next to Izuku as he was preparing himself. "I thought I heard something about kissing and stuff."

Izuku didn't pay his perverted classmate any mind. He was too busy thinking about the upcoming event that he trained for. He looked around and saw similar looks of nervous, yet determined faces.

Save for one.

Erica… Class had been surprisingly quiet since her absence. She played a huge role in slowing the Nomu down, but had paid a heavy toll for it. Her skull fractured, her limbs destroyed, even with Recovery Girl's amazing Quirk, he wasn't sure if she could become a hero again.

"Yo! Greenbean!"

Izuku yelped as he felt a familiar, surprisingly heavyweight press against his back. Feeling the pair of familiar softness, his face turned bright red as he recognized the silky, blonde hair at the corner of his eyes.

"E-Erica!" Izuku reacted, "W-Wait! How-"

"You're all better!"

Erica was indeed standing, looking as limber as ever. Her limbs, which were once broken and even twisted, seemed to be in working order, good as new.

"Missed me?" Erica asked with an innocent smirk. "I'm glad to be able to catch up to you guys at the last minute."

"THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'CATCH UP?!'" Bakugou snapped. "How come you were walking already when your legs were done!"

Erica turned around and glared at the explosive sandy blond, beginning to pull up the lower part of her pants.

"Nice thighs!" Mineta's tongue fell out, ogling before the present was even fully unwrapped. "Why not remove it all-!"

*WHACK!*

Mineta's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he slumped over, lights knocked clean out for the moment, courtesy of a ticked-off Mina who rubbed the bottom of her knifehand.

"Maybe it's better to not show it here, Erica," Ochako advised, before moving on to the important question. "Better yet, are you sure you can join the festival?"

Erica nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't miss it for the world."

This ignited a fire within Ochako as she gave a smirk in return. "Then let's make it worth it, shall we? Just like in the Dojo."

*CLAP!*

The two rivals slapped hands, both promising to give it their best and to not hold back.

Meanwhile

"Is everything ready?"

The festival was but a few minutes away. In the stadium hallways, off-limits to the public, Kitsune read the final report with Aizawa as they moved to their positions.

"Yes, all's according to the plan, like always," Aizawa replied, looking as energetic as usual as he continued. "Midnight will address the students and instruct them on their tasks, given it's her time now."

Kitsune turned to him. "Is it wise for her to do so?"

"What, you a puritan or something?"

"No, but I feel like she's going to…put up a spectacle, I fear," Kitsune voiced his opinion to his fellow hero. "Never mind, I will observe the first task by myself, and see what the students will do."

"I'm concerned about Miss Walt participating."

Kitsune stopped at this. Even if he didn't put on the mask, something told him that his expression would've been empty.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to allow her to join the festival?"

"She has healed-"

"I'm not talking about her physical health."

The two stood silent at that moment.

"...She can control herself," Kitsune promised.

"I trust her to control herself as much as I trust that Bakugo kid," Aiwawa retaliated.

"Everyone deserves a chance," Kitsune replied. "If we gave Bakugo one, she deserves one too."

"If you say so."

"Let's begin!"

As if on cue, Present Mic's booming voice echoed throughout the stadium, and the two Pro Heroes continued to their destination.

"I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it," Aizawa sighed. "For now, I'll just wonder who'll succeed or fail."

"Mind telling me then who you believe will fail first?"

"I'm not stupid, Kitsune," Aizawa huffed. "I know you got the Devil's Luck when it comes to gambling, and I'd like to keep my dignity."

A rare chuckle left Kitsune's devilish mask as he recalled how he cleaned house in one after-school activity for the faculty, which ended with one teacher being daring enough to challenge him to strip poker.

The said person was the 18+ Hero Midnight herself. Dressed in her rather daring outfit, she watched the students of UA High enter the arena with a nervous aura of sadistic glee.

Just then, she noticed two colleagues enter the stage behind her, seizing her attention.

Meanwhile, Class 1-B entered the scene. Itsuka Kendo was one of the first to enter the arena, being welcomed by the surrounding crowd cheering for their entrance.

Present Mic's quirk came in handy as of right now, since the crowd's euphoria nearly drowned out his words.

As for the students themselves, they were either filled with excitement, anxiety, or cursed the ones in the hero courses

"Attention!"

All chatter, including those in the crowd, came to a sudden halt as Kitsune's voice boomed like thunder.

"In formation!"

The students quickly shuffled into several rows as Kitsune stood to address them to the crowd. The crowd whispered like a thousand ghosts as they were left in awe at the rare chance to see Kitsune himself.

"Wow, it's the hero Kitsune in the flesh!"

"Awesome! I heard he barely goes out in public. Must be some real stealthy hero."

"Yeah, and he's standing right next to this year's chief umpire Midnight."

For obvious reasons, the male population of the spectator crowd were over the moon in regards to Midnight's costumes, whereas the female population and even some of the students themselves weren't too keen on seeing one of their beloved teachers dressed like that.

"Uhm, someone should talk to Miss Midnight about what she's wearing," Kirishima commented, shuffling a little in his spot.

Kaminari was trying to suppress the tint on his cheeks. "Yeah, that costume should come with a warning."

"Is this really appropriate for a high school game?" Tokoyami questioned.

"SILENCE EVERYONE!" With a single stroke of her arm with her whip, Midnight took control as she continued to speak. "Normally, a quick few words will be spoken by the best-performing student of the class, but instead those now will be given by the newest member of the U.A faculty staff - Kitsune!"

The introduction while short was nothing but largely accepted with roars and cheers from the crowd, watching the hero take to where the microphone was waiting to be used, with him then addressing everyone.

"I'll keep it short for you all. For every participant here - do NOT hold back. Give it your all, and show the world what kind of a hero you are. Plus Ultra!"

While indeed brief, it dissipated their nervousness in a flash, and they felt fired up for the challenges they would face.

"The first test is a race/obstacle course. Simply go around the stadium, and use whatever arsenal you have to the best of your abilities. Good luck, and GO!"

And like that, the Sports Festival started without a single more detail spared.