Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.
Chapter 50:
Uzumaki Naruto, the hypocrite?
Things were rapidly deescalating at Hope's Peak Academy. Most of the students and teachers were not aware of this, but behind the scenes those that could claim "true power" over the powerful institution were finding themselves in something of a dilemma.
A big scandal was about to erupt, and it came from the unlikeliest of places.
In situations like this, the Steering Committee, heck the entire board of trustees, would just blame everything on the current headmaster or try to suppress any bad rumors to avoid any negative attention being focused on the school as a whole. Really, they just wanted to avoid responsibility. This was specially true at this point in time, where they found themselves so close to achieving their "ultimate hope." They could not afford to bring any sort of attention on themselves. None whatsoever.
The public might be ants. Isolated they meant nothing, but if organized they could pose a problem.
This presented them with another problem: one of the pieces that they were craving for was at the very heart of this scandal. If they acted in their usual manner, they could risk alienating him further, or worse losing him. This was not something that they could afford.
And so, for once, the Steering Committee of Hope's Peak Academy was at a standstill, and for more reasons than one as they couldn't also just denounce Kotoko's mother either. Why?
Well, Jin did not know any of the specifics, but his old instincts as a detective were telling him that perhaps some of the patrons the school had were also wrapped up in this whole mess. The Steering Committee did not want to risk losing them either as they held a lot of prestige in their own right.
It sickened him to his core, but these were the current politics behind this prestigious school.
A set of hands slammed down on his desk, knocking Jin out of his thoughts.
"I don't understand this, headmaster!"
Before the headmaster was none other than Chisa. He could tell that the young woman hadn't slept all night. Not surprising, given what she had been up to for the last several hours. Jin himself had barely gotten any sleep as he was contacted about this whole mess late last night. It was already morning, but it didn't feel like a new day at all.
Just another headache.
"Why is the school hesitating to do anything about this!?" Chisa was not happy right now. She did not understand why everything was at a standstill.
Jin sighed as he did his best to compose his thoughts. He couldn't show just how troubled he was about this whole situation.
"That woman has already contacted Hope's Peak Academy about last night's incident. She's threatening to go the press and the police about all of this."
"And how is that a threat? She's the one who sold out her daughter!"
"That's what I've been trying to figure out." A lie really. As stated before, Jin already had a pretty good idea why. "Regardless, the board wants to avoid any unnecessary attention brought to the school."
"For something like that, they're willing to throw Uzumaki-kun under the bus!?" Chisa exclaimed with disbelief.
"Now, now. That's not true either." Chisa and Jin weren't the only ones present in the headmaster's office. Tengan was there as well. The former headmaster wore a reassuring smile as he addressed the rapidly panicking homeroom teacher of 77-B. "The school is willing to support Naruto in this. Unfortunately, the reality is that it's not so simple."
"She's rotten to the core!"
"Too true." Neither Jin nor Tengan were going to dispute that fact. "However, legally speaking, she is still the girl's mother. She has all the rights in the world to demand the return of Utsugi Kotoko. We on the other hand lack any hard evidence that this…..abuse has been occurring."
And Tengan doubted very much that any of the men that had partaken in this "quid pro quo" were going to step forward to backup Kotoko's claim. They had no reason to, not unless they wanted to end their own lives.
Chisa couldn't believe her ears. "That can't be the end of it."
"For the time being, it is." Jin sighed as he fell back in his chair. What a time to be headmaster. "Now it just depends on how she decides to move forward. It won't surprise me if she tries to force herself back into the house, and this time with the full extent of the law behind her."
Justice wasn't that clear cut. Laws existed to protect the people, but on the flip side they could also hinder. Like with anything else in the world, there was always a downside.
"This is ridiculous." Chisa looked down in worry. Clearly, she had not been in her right mind for the past few hours. No one could blame her for it. One of her beloved students was facing a crisis. Whether on purpose or not, he had become entangled in some huge conspiracy in an industry that had nothing to do with him. But it wasn't just him that this affected. There was also Kotoko. There was a good chance that the school that was meant to support her wasn't going to stick by her. That would break her. Knowing Naruto, this would only enrage him further.
Tengan could read Chisa's face and how anxious she was. It made him smile.
"You really care about them. It hasn't been long, but I see you've already become attached to them."
His words only soured Chisa's mood further. She hadn't forgotten the fact that Naruto was currently staying at Tengan's home.
"That has nothing to do with this. It's about doing the right thing."
"The right thing, you say." Tengan laughed. It wasn't in an obnoxious way. It was more kindhearted than that. "Perhaps so. I think doing the right thing is important, especially during moments like this. They are what define us."
Chisa didn't understand. Why was Tengan acting like this?
"You're talking as if this doesn't have anything to do with you. You might not be the headmaster anymore, but you're still a part of the school. Plus, you have Uzumaki-kun living with you. How would this look on you if the school decides to throw him under the bus?"
"Yukizome, that's going too far," Jin cut in. "I know you're frustrated, but that's not-"
"It's quite alright." Tengan didn't seem to mind as he only laughed again. "I'm sure Yukizome-kun is only rattled by these recent events like we all are. Understandable really. I'm only surprised that Munakata-kun didn't tell you anything. He's still the same as always I see."
Always keeping his cards close to himself.
Now this was a turn that Chisa was not expecting.
"W-What does Kyosuke have to do with this?"
"Oh, that's nothing to fret over." Tengan smiled at her. "But the way you're handling this situation is exactly why I was against appointing you to be their teacher."
Chisa's eyes widened. Did she hear that right?
Jin was now getting more frustrated.
"Tengan-san, this isn't the time for this."
They didn't need to be derailed from the problem at hand.
"I'm only trying to be upfront about everything," Tengan explained, still smiling. Like with his laugh, it wasn't obnoxious or even mean-spirited. It was the opposite. It was quite welcoming. "This situation won't be a problem for much longer. I'm quite sure of that. It's why I believe we should leave it alone and let the chips fall where they may."
"T-That is irresponsible!" Chisa exclaimed, trying to get her thoughts in order. She wasn't going to let Tengan sway her from her position. "Who knows how things will end if we leave them as they are! Uzumaki-kun and Kotoko-chan need our support now more than ever!"
"We can support them by stepping back and letting them forge their path."
How on earth was that a solution!?
Chisa clenched her fists as she glared at the former headmaster. The man that had once been her headmaster during her time as a student, someone whom she had come to respect in many ways. She couldn't believe such a man was speaking like this.
"I don't understand what game you're playing at, but I'm not about let my students suffer if I can do something about it."
With those words, she stormed out of the office.
Neither man tried to stop her.
Tengan wasn't bothered by her words. He only laughed for a third time. He knew she meant well. In all honesty, he was quite fond of the young woman. She was exactly the kind of person that deserved to be teaching at this school. The situation with this specific class was just a little bit different.
"Did you really have to provoke her like that?" Jin asked after a minute of silence between the two men. "I know where her allegiances ultimately lie, but right now isn't the time for such squabbles."
"I was not provoking her," Tengan replied as he stood up from his seat. He clasped his hands behind his back as he walked around Jin's desk towards the windows. "I suppose I was being too cryptic with her. She does not understand the darkness of this school yet."
"Those are two separate issues."
"Are they? Regardless of how I may felt when I first let him stay with me, the truth of the matter is that I now believe Naruto is an important component of this school's future. Trying to oversee him will only hinder his growth. That's why I felt that appointing Kizakura-kun as his homeroom teacher was for the best."
"You already know where I stand on that."
"But of course. Right now, I'm only an advisor. I know it's not longer up to me."
Jin sighed. "You can't be showing favoritism. It isn't like you."
Tengan let out a few chuckles at this. "Come now, you know you've grown fond of the boy too. Did he not help your daughter? And all for the price of a worried and caring father."
Really, even though he was older, Jin still felt like Tengan was treating him like a little kid.
"Once again, those are two separate issues."
"You know I'm right about this. The future is being shaped as we speak, and I for one want to see where it leads us."
"Guidance is important," Jin insisted. "He's a talented boy, but talent is nothing without the proper nourishment. It's why this school is here."
Wrong. Tengan no longer believed that. Maybe it was just because of his old age, but he felt like he was finally able to see some semblance of the truth. He was just content letting the wheels of fate do their job as he sat back and watched it all unfold. He knew his role and wasn't going to try and change that.
It didn't look like it was a very popular outlook to have, if Jin's and Chisa's reactions were any indication. What a shame.
'Let's just see where this next chapter ends.'
Interference or not, Tengan was sure that Naruto wasn't going to disappoint.
Nagisa was worried. It wasn't every day that he felt so anxious. Sure, his relationship with his father always made him feel uneasy, but he was used to that by this point. He didn't realize how sad such a sentiment was, so he didn't focus on it.
No, this new feeling of unease was being caused by his worry for Kotoko.
In all honesty, Nagisa had no way to describe his relationship with his fellow classmates in the "troublemaker class." Sure, he had a huge crush on Monaca. That meant that he wanted to stay by her side and support her as much as possible. What about the others? What could he call them? Nagisa had never had to question this before.
Today, though, when he arrived to class he was met with confusion when their teacher told them that Kotoko was not going to be joining them today. This had never happened before. Kotoko had never missed a day of class, and if she was going to skip, surely she would have told them.
"This is suspicious." Even though Masaru probably wasn't thinking about the situation as much as Nagisa was, he had still arrived at the same conclusion. Probably based on gut instinct. "When has Kotoko ever disappeared like this before?"
Their teacher was no longer present, so they were allowed to talk among themselves. A great "privilege."
"Do you think she got swallowed up by the earth somehow?" Jataro asked with his usual innocence. "I've heard that there could be like giant earthworms just waiting to grab anyone they could find! Maybe she met one on her way to class and then poof. She was gone! I guess you could almost say it was a miracle."
Nagisa sighed while shaking his head. "Why do you always have to come up with the stupidest theories? Besides, if that is what happened, then there's no way the teacher would have known that she wasn't coming today."
"Oh yeah." Jataro rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish look. Or it looked sheepish anyway. With that mask, it was always hard to tell what kind of expression he was making. "I guess that's what I get for trying to sound smart. I just thought that maybe I could help in solving her disappearance so that we don't end up like her. I don't want to be buried forever."
"Stop screwing around!" Masaru shook his fist at Jataro. "I'm sure Kotoko's fine! She's probably still sleeping or something."
"Hmm, I dunno about that." It was here that Monaca joined the conversion. She hummed as she placed a delicate finger under her lips. "If the teacher made an announcement about it, then I'm sure it has to be something serious. Otherwise, there would be no reason to say anything."
"Is that how that works?" Masaru had no idea!
Nagisa got more worried. "What are you trying to say, Monaca? Do you think something happened to her?"
"Well, I don't know about that either." Monaca then smiled. "Oh, I know! Why don't we see if Naruto knows anything? You know how much Kotoko likes him. If someone would know anything, it has to be him."
"Oh, that's right!" Masaru smirked and nearly jumped in excitement. "Of course! Naruto would know! There's no way he wouldn't know!"
Jataro nodded. "Yeah. He knows a lot of things. In fact, just the other day he was talking about how ramen shouldn't need to take three minutes to cook. That it was such a marvelous food that it had to already be ready whenever you wanted it. He wanted big bro Hanamura to do something about it, because the gods themselves would want that. So you know, if the gods think so, then it has to be true. I guess knowing what the gods want makes you know a bunch of different stuff."
"I think you're overthinking this," Nagisa muttered before shaking his head. He could get caught up in Jataro's weird head later. Right now, they needed to solve this mystery. "Do we go look for Naruto then?"
"I think we should!" Masaru cheered for this idea. "Screw this class. We got more important things to do anyway."
"We have been skipping a lot," Jataro noted. "Do you think we will ever get caught?"
"Who cares about all that?" Monaca said, clapping to get their attention. "Right now, we need to look for our friend. Shall we get moving?"
Friend…..this was the first time such a word had been presented to Nagisa's mind.
Could this be why he was so anxious right now? Because he considered Kotoko a friend and was worried that she might be hurt somehow?
'A friend…..'
As the four Li'l Ultimates left the classroom, Nagisa mused over the word some more. Ultimately, he decided he liked the sound of it. He wasn't going to say this out loud, though. The last thing he needed was to be teased by Masaru and Jataro in front of Monaca. He needed to look as cool and dependable as possible in front of her.
Since they had been doing this constantly for the past week, the four kids had no issues sneaking past any of the teachers that were roaming the hallways. They had gotten extra good with moving Monaca's wheelchair as stealthy as possible. Well, except when Jataro was pushing her. He got clumsy with it, so they had decided that only Nagisa and Masaru would be doing the pushing.
They made it outside the building relatively easy. The Main Course building was still a little bit away, but the trek was familiar to them so it didn't feel too far anymore.
That was their plan anyway, but once outside they were met with the approaching forms of Nagito and Kazuichi, the latter of which seemed to be grumbling.
Nagito's eyes brightened when he saw them. "Ah, what great luck! I thought we were going to have to go inside the school building to get you guys, but you're already here. That is going to save us a lot of trouble. Don't you think so, Soda-kun?"
"Just get on with it." Kazuichi didn't look happy to be here, and it showed. "Seriously, why did I have to tag along with you?"
"I'm sorry that you got caught up in this, Soda-kun," Nagito apologized with a sincere smile. "Uzumaki-kun told me to fetch you since you were the only one still in the school."
"Only because I overslept! And that's because I've been working so hard with Miss Sonia!"
Nagito's smile was the only response Kazuichi got, which only made the Ultimate Mechanic sulk even more.
"Ugh, it's this guy." Masaru grimaced when he saw Nagito.
Nagisa couldn't fault him really. Sometimes he felt a bit creeped out by the older boy too.
"Oh." Monaca on the other hand looked puzzled by Nagito's and Kazuichi's presence. "What are you two doing here?"
"Are they working with the teachers?" Jataro asked, alarmed. "Did they anticipate us leaving class? Was I too loud? I couldn't help it, guys. It's like when an elephant walks. It can't help but being loud! But I guess I can't use that same excuse, huh. It's not like an elephant is automatically clumsy like I am. Maybe I should have chosen a different animal. What kind of animal is ever clumsy? I can't really think of one. I guess that must mean that I'm below even a stinky wild animal. What would people at school say if they found out about this?"
Kazuichi's eye twitched. "This brat always annoys me." He pointed at the masked Jataro. "What gave you the idea that we're working with the teachers anyway? That doesn't even make sense!"
Nagito chuckled. "Soda-kun, I think it's better if we just explain the situation to them."
"What situation?" Nagisa immediately asked. "Did Naruto send you?"
"A sharp one." Nagito was happy to praise the young boy. "That's right. Uzumaki-kun asked me to come get you guys from class. I don't think he quite understands how troublesome that would have been if the teachers had found out, but thankfully you being here saved us the hassle of facing that problem."
Kazuichi smirked, his pointy teeth almost shining in the morning sun. "I'll say. That guy doesn't get how things work around here sometimes."
"I don't think it's too much of a problem. Uzumaki-kun still new compared to the rest of us."
Kazuichi soured again. "Why do I even talk to you?"
Nagisa still didn't understand. "Why would Naruto want you to get us? What's going on?"
"You must already know that one of your friends is missing, correct?" Nagito pointed out. "Uzumaki-kun guessed that you must have gotten worried about her and asked me to bring you to her."
This caused Nagisa's eyes to widen. Was Naruto involved, after all?
"See, I told you, guys!" Masaru was in much higher spirits after hearing this. "I told you that Naruto would know!"
"He really does know everything." Jataro was in awe.
Monaca said nothing.
"Just shut it already." Kazuichi was rapidly losing his patience with this whole thing. "The longer we stand out here the more attention we're going to draw to ourselves. I don't want any of the teachers trying to stop us. We need to get to Miss Sonia."
Nagito was in agreement. "Of course." He turned back to the kids. "Will you follow us then?"
Nagisa wasn't too pleased about having to follow Nagito of all people, but if he was going to take them to where Kotoko was then they didn't have much choice.
"Lead the way."
At this moment, Naruto was never more thankful to have someone like Mahiru around. She was making this experience go a lot smoother than if she wasn't here.
A little explanation was in order.
The Uzumaki had woken up early today. Like super early. It was more accurate to say that he had gotten very little sleep last night. Perhaps an hour at most. He had been wary of just falling asleep while Kotoko was still in such a delicate state. Plus, if that woman did try something, he wanted to be awake and ready. Thankfully, nothing had happened.
He hadn't done his usual morning routine of training with Akane and Nekomaru that he had grown accustomed to. Rather, he had texted every one of his friends to meet up at his house if they could. He had done this in an effort to try and cheer Kotoko up. The more people she was around the better it would be for her mental state. Right now, Naruto believed that the most important thing he could do for Kotoko was to show her that there was more to the world than just evil people. That she wasn't alone. This was why he had asked Nagito to pick up the other Li'l Ultimates.
With no hesitation, everyone had agreed to meet up at his place. They were not going to be attending their classes today. Naruto had not contacted Chisa about any of this. For one, he didn't have her number. For another, he was sure she was still busy talking to the headmaster. He wasn't going to distract her from that.
Surprisingly, the first one to arrive had been Teruteru. Instantly, the Ultimate Cook had taken over the kitchen and served Naruto and Kotoko a breakfast to die for. The short boy might have a questionable personality, but there was no denying that his cooking was powerful enough to uplift anyone. Naruto had to once again thank his friendship with the cook.
Peko and Fuyuhiko had shown up next. The Ultimate Yakuza had brought more of his men with him to relieve the night squad from the previous evening. He was not going to let security become lax while Kotoko's mother was still out there.
After them, it had been Mahiru, Mikan, and Hiyoko. This was where Naruto had asked Mahiru for another favor. He needed to get Kotoko out of that disgusting nightgown as soon as possible. She needed clothes. He had no sense for what a girl might like, though, and he was sure that Kotoko would feel more comfortable sharing the experience with another girl.
This was where Mahiru came in.
The Ultimate Photographer was more than happy to oblige.
As expected, Mikan had been hesitant to just let Naruto go when she noticed the cuts on his hand, but Naruto told her that he was fine and that he would let her treat him all she wanted later. Right now, Kotoko was more important than some little cuts.
And so, here Naruto was, with Mahiru, Peko, and Kotoko as they entered one of the many clothing stores in the city. A black car was trailing behind them. It belonged to the Kuzuryu Clan. Fuyuhiko had insisted that Naruto take Peko and his men along for the ride. Naruto thought it might be too much, but in the end he knew that Fuyuhiko's heart was in the right place so he accepted the extra backup.
Naruto had allowed Kotoko to pick out any store she wanted. It was going to be his treat. He had his own bank account now, with his own debit card to match. He still had just about all the money that he had gotten from the Akira case since he didn't really spend any money on himself. Plus, he was still working at the ramen shop so he got some extra cash from there. Really, his only big expense was Kurama and even then the little fox usually ate whatever Teruteru made along with the rest of them. The glutton was probably eating Teruteru's food right about now since he had still been asleep when Naruto and the others had left the house.
He was sure his mother would be proud of him for being so careful with his money, but that was neither here nor there.
"Everything seems calm," Peko observed as Mahiru and Kotoko walked into one of the changing rooms. "That only makes me more wary about what might come."
Naruto could understand that sentiment.
"I thought for sure that Yukizome-sensei would have gotten in touch with us by now," Peko added as the two settled in a comfortable silence. "What do you think is holding her up?"
Naruto hadn't thought that far ahead yet.
"Don't know. She did say things might get complicated."
Peko raised an eyebrow at Naruto's nonchalant answer. "You're not worried?"
Naruto shook his head. "It's not like that. I want things to end as peacefully as possible. If that woman were just to back away and leave Kotoko alone, then everything would be fine. I'm just prepared for the worst at this point."
Peko didn't follow. "What is the worst?"
To this, Naruto said nothing as he just closed his eyes.
He really didn't want to think about it.
"Look at this one! Isn't it great!"
A few moments later a smiling Kotoko ran out of the changing room in a new outfit. She was wearing a light black jacket and skirt combo with mismatched thigh-high socks with pale pink patterns. She chose a pair of ankle-high black boots with pink accents to complete the ensemble.
She really loved pink.
Naruto gave her a thumbs up with his trademark grin. "It looks really good on you!"
Kotoko beamed under his praise.
A sighing Mahiru emerged behind her. "Don't encourage her. She looks like a punk."
"It's super adorbs, though!" Kotoko did a quick spin. "I could totally pass off as a supervillain now. I just need something a little more demonic..."
Peko was somewhat amused. "I think Mioda would have a few things to say about that."
"I like her style too!" Kotoko nodded a couple of times. "I think I may have been inspired by it. Her music could do with some work, but her style is totally on point."
"Don't let her hear you saying that." Ibuki could be quite prideful about her work. Mahiru carried on. "Is that the last of what you want?"
"I think so!" Kotoko didn't need to think about it. She had already picked out quite a bit of outfits, and she was feeling a bit self-conscious. Sure, Naruto had offered to pay for everything, but he had already done so much. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was being a pain.
"Then we just need to change back-"
"I um actually want to wear this back to the house." Kotoko looked at Mahiru with some hesitance before glancing at Naruto. "Is that okay?"
Naruto didn't see a problem with that. "Sure. I'm sure the store will understand."
Mahiru was okay with that. It wasn't like the young girl had anything else to wear that was appropriate anyway.
"Just make sure we have everything," Mahiru reminded her. She gave Naruto a teasing grin. "Then your big brother here will pay for everything, right?"
Kotoko blushed a little. "H-He's not….."
Naruto didn't understand the joke and just shrugged, going along with it.
"Yeah, I have my card right here. Just tell me when you're ready."
Unable to trust her voice, Kotoko just nodded before rushing back into the dressing room to make sure that everything she had picked was still there.
Mahiru watched her go with a sigh. "I get it now. Even if it's not romantic, he really is oblivious to this type of thing. Is it because of how he grew up?"
Naruto crossed his arms and grumbled. "Are you talking about me? Because I don't know what you're trying to say."
Mahiru wasn't going to explain it to him. That would just make her die from embarrassment.
Peko walked up to pat him on the back. "It's okay, Naruto. We don't think any less of you for this."
Why were they being so mean all of a sudden!?
By the time they returned back to the house, everyone else had already gathered there. This included Nagito, Kazuichi, and the other Li'l Ultimates.
Kotoko didn't bother to hide her surprise when she saw them relaxing in the living room.
"You guys are here too!?"
"Looks like she's back." Jataro was the first to acknowledge Kotoko with a satisfied nod. "That proves it. Naruto does know everything. I guess I should be able to ask him the meaning of life now. I mean, it's gotta be something profound, right? It can't just be something stupid like the urge to poop. Because then everyone would be able to find it. That wouldn't make it special. What would be the point of philosophy then?"
"Jataro, shut it." Nagisa wanted to slap the masked boy but held himself back. "We're here to ask Kotoko if she's okay, remember?"
"Aww, Nagisa was worried~" Masaru was more than happy to tease Nagisa over this. He had been worried too, but no one needed to know that, least of all Kotoko. "You hear that? He wanted to make sure you were okay."
Nagisa blushed and grumbled. "Don't start, Masaru. You guys came too!"
"That has nothing to do with this!"
Jataro tilted his head a bit. "Man, I don't get it. Were they worried or were they not worried? Is it that difficult to answer?"
Monaca merely smiled while Jataro was lost in thought.
Kotoko just watched them bicker while Naruto stood next to her. The pink haired girl was still in shock to see that they had actually come looking for her.
"Everyone is here to support you, Kotoko," Naruto told her, talking not only about the Li'l Ultimates but also the others. "You don't have to be alone during this."
"Hell yes, girlfriend!" It was probably the perfect time for Sonia to bust out her slang as she tried to encourage Kotoko. "Naruto explained the situation to us. We are here to help you with anything you need!"
"W-Well, I guess it can't be helped." With a huff, Hiyoko spoke up as well. "I guess without dependable people like me you would be totally lost. It's only natural that you would turn to us for help."
"What kind of logic is that?" Kazuichi had to smirk at Hiyoko's reasoning. "She came to Naruto for help, you know."
"Shut it, you loser mechanic! No one wants to hear from you!"
"You could learn to be a bit nicer to me!"
"Ignore Soda." Mahiru placed a comforting hand on Kotoko's shoulder. "Let's just have a good time, okay?"
"That's what my cooking is all about!" Teruteru shouted from the kitchen. "You'll be more satisfied than you've ever been before in your life. That's a Hanamura guarantee!"
"HELL YEAH!" Akane could cheer for that all day long.
"Fool, you're supposed to be giving her a more comforting gesture, not worried about the food." Nekomaru grunted in disapproval as Akane drooled over the smell coming from the kitchen. "I suppose taking a comforting shit can also lead to peace and quiet, so it can't be helped."
Hiyoko looked annoyed by Nekomaru's words. "Aw man, you always have to be disgusting during times like this, don't you?"
"Kekeke." Gundham cackled with his Four Dark Devas posing on his shoulders and scarf. "Truly, this will be a feast worthy of hell. If you don't wish me to erase you from where you stand, then you shall partake in this dark ceremony of ours."
"It's barely 10 AM and these idiots are already driving me nuts!" Hiyoko said with a grimace.
"H'mph, that's what you get for reacting to every little thing," Byakuya admonished her with his arms crossed.
"But that's what so cute about Hiyoko-chan~" Ibuki appeared from out of nowhere to hug Hiyoko, much to the blonde's annoyance. "You can't help but love her when she gets frustrated, right~"
"Let me go, you smell terrible!"
"Aww, there's nothing wrong with some girl-on-girl love!"
"DISGUSTING!"
Fuyuhiko felt like he was stuck in a perpetual play of stupidity. "These fuckers can't act serious for one second, can they?"
Peko only laughed as she let herself smile. She wouldn't have it any other way.
Nagito was smiling as well. "I think their positivity is very much needed right now. It's only with an attitude like that that you can overcome any wall that stands in your way."
"At least you said something that wasn't totally full of shit," was Fuyuhiko's response to the luckster.
"Your words due me great honor, Kuzuryu-kun."
"You think they're supposed to be a compliment?" Chiaki wondered. Ah, but wait. This was Nagito she was talking about. To him, pretty much most things were a compliment.
It was easy to see that Kotoko was pretty overwhelmed when she was surrounded by so many people, but it was also true that it brightened her heart. For so long she had thought that would be enduring her mother's love all by herself. That she had no one. But in one day Naruto had shown her that that wasn't the case. She did have people in her life that she could count on. She always had them. She just had to reach out her hand to them for help.
She would have cried, but her tears were pretty dried up at this point. No, she wasn't going to let herself be weak forever. She had to be strong, just like how Naruto was strong. She would be facing this new future of hers with a smile.
And that's exactly what she did as she jumped into the festivities with an open smile. It might be the first true smile that she was showing everyone.
It silently drove Monaca insane, but the green haired girl just returned the smile as she joined in with the others.
Naruto allowed himself to step back as he watched Kotoko have fun. Everyone was doing their own thing as usual, but it all just worked.
'I have awesome friends.'
There was no doubt about that.
But there was still one other person that he had yet to take notice of.
Mikan had been quietly just letting everything play out until she could sneak up on the Uzumaki. Which she did, grabbing his injured hand with a firmness that was only ever present when she was nursing someone back to health.
"Naruto-san, we still have to do something about that hand of yours."
The blond Uzumaki grimaced. He had made a promise to her.
"Just no shots, okay?"
Mikan giggled. "No promises."
She was even making jokes about it now!
It was shaping out to be a quiet morning, and Naruto was even thinking of allowing himself to relax for the first time since all of this had begun.
The phone call he then got from Chisa put an end to those happy thoughts.
Sitting by the edge of his bed, Naruto looked at his bandaged hand, his eyes blank. As usual, Mikan had done some good work, even when it was just minor injuries like this. She didn't have any chakra which meant no medical ninjutsu, but her skills were the next best thing.
The greatness of Mikan's talent aside, he now had to come to terms with the fact that the worst was indeed coming to pass.
"I can't believe those assholes would be crapping their pants during a time like this." Fuyuhiko would be spitting on the board of trustees if they were here right now.
"What do you expect?" Byakuya was not surprised by this outcome at all. "The public image of the school is seen as the most important thing. Did I not tell you this before? To achieve this, they would even try to sweep this incident under the rug."
Nagito said nothing, just observing the conversation for now.
While Mikan had been patching Naruto up, he had received a call from Chisa who explained how things had been unfolding back at Hope's Peak Academy. It seemed like Kotoko's mother hadn't wasted any time in contacting the school about the supposed "kidnapping" of her daughter and how he was responsible of it. If they didn't want her to leak what had been happening with Kotoko to the press and the police, then they would force Naruto to hand Kotoko back to her. Apparently she was going to pin the blame on Hope's Peak about the multiple rapes that Kotoko had been forced to endure for the past year. Without any solid evidence in their corner, Hope's Peak would be forced to bear the brunt of the blame. After all, Kotoko was supposed to be under the care of the school, just as Naruto and the other Ultimates were. If a student had been raped multiple times under their care, then they were the obvious ones at fault for not looking after her better.
It was difficult to predict how the public at large would react if of all this came to light, but there was no denying that the prestigious name of the school would suffer.
A lot of this didn't make much sense to Naruto, namely the hesitation of the school. It would be easy for them to denounce him and his actions, so why weren't they doing that? They could save themselves a lot of trouble that way. Also, it could be argued that they could just ignore Kotoko's mother altogether and not even bother with her. Sure, some scrutiny would be placed on the school, but they had been innocent in this. Surely with some investigating the truth of the matter would come to light.
Was there something else at play here that Naruto wasn't seeing?
'Kyoko could probably solve this.'
If only she was here.
Sadly, she was not. So Naruto was going to have to handle this by himself…..well, not entirely. He still had his friends, which is why he had called for Fuyuhiko and Byakuya to join him in his room. He didn't want the others overhearing any of this, namely Kotoko.
Nagito had sort of invited himself in, but Naruto wasn't going to kick him out. He knew how smart the Ultimate Lucky Student was. His opinion could help Naruto out.
Well, he said that, but at this point Naruto knew what he was going to have to do.
"There is a lot of chatter going back at the school," Byakuya explained. "There is a split opinion about what they should do. It seems like not even the Steering Committee have a consensus."
If the ones at the top were confused, then the rest of the ship couldn't function.
Fuyuhiko would have smirked if he wasn't so frustrated. "You're one scary bastard, you know that? Knowing so much about Hope's Peak…."
Not to mention how quickly he got all this information too.
Byakuya did smirk, accepting the compliment. "I may not be the real Togami Byakuya, but I have access to many sources of my own. I've been doing this sort of thing all my life."
"It is impressive," Nagito praised, clapping. "To allow even myself to see it, I'm thankful for this opportunity."
Nagito's words erased Byakuya's smirk. "This isn't the time for your jokes. We still have to figure out what we're going to do."
"I say let the bitch do whatever she wants." Fuyuhiko didn't care. "Let her try to force her way in here."
It would be a bloodbath.
Byakuya was more rational. "Do you want to turn the whole country against us? As far as the law goes, she's well within her rights to get her daughter back."
"Then why don't you use some of those sources of yours to dig up dirt on her? There's gotta be a trail somewhere."
"You don't think I haven't done that yet? Don't insult me." Byakuya shook his head. "Unfortunately, there's nothing definitive. I've been able to get at some rumors, but this is going to take time. I'm certain I have a preliminary list of people she's bribed in the past, but without a direct confession from any of them….."
Time. That was the issue here. Kotoko's mother could march in here and demand Kotoko back with an army of policemen behind her. It would be so easy, so that raised another question. Why hadn't she done that already?
There was so much Naruto didn't know, but at the end of the day that mattered very little to him.
Nagito noticed the blank look on the blond's face and started smiling again. He had been afraid at first, afraid that Naruto would be hesitating to step up at a time like this.
It seemed as though his fears had been unfounded.
"I think Uzumaki-kun has already made up his mind about what needs to be done."
Fuyuhiko and Byakuya turned to look at Naruto, now noticing that the whiskered blond had been quiet since they got in here.
Fuyuhiko narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking?"
He wasn't going to beat around the bush here.
Naruto thought about his next words for a few seconds before nodding. Standing, he addressed Fuyuhiko and Byakuya.
"I'm going to need you two to do something for me."
Nagito had to stop himself from laughing in excitement. All of this was beyond perfect. This was exactly what he had been waiting to see for so long. Finally, he could see the moment of truth with his own eyes.
Just how lucky was he?
'My heart is fluttering.'
It would be wrong to say that Naruto's mind was calm as night descended again. As far as Kotoko had been concerned, the day had been spent peacefully. Everyone had gathered just for her, which included Chisa who had arrived much later to relax with her students. She had also wanted to make sure that Naruto wasn't up to anything crazy.
All of this had put the final pieces of her heart at ease. It was why she, Monaca, and Nagisa, Masaru, and Jataro were able to sleep peacefully right now. The five kids had taken over Naruto's room, but the blond was fine with this. It was too late to send them back to the dorms on their own, and this way Kotoko could sleep more soundly tonight.
It was going to be another restless night for him anyway.
The information Byakuya had provided him with had been instrumental for his plan, and he was sure that Fuyuhiko and his clan were going to be putting it to good use too.
Perhaps all of this was wrong. Perhaps from an outsider's perspective what he was about to do could be seen as the wrong choice. Perhaps they were right.
Naruto did not care. He was not mature enough to act with reason over emotion. Sure, he had matured a lot during the past year. Even before coming to this new world, he had had to face many challenges that had forced him to change from the kid who first started to train just to get stronger for acknowledgment into someone who wanted to follow in his master's footsteps of fostering peace and understanding throughout the world. A grand dream for sure, one that he still thought was worth pursuing.
Naruto did not have all the answers. He just knew that he had been faced with many wrong answers, in the forms of Nagato, Obito, and Madara. He had started to think more before he acted, but ultimately he would always follow his heart. His mind might be conflicted, sure, but his heart was not.
Someone had hurt someone precious to him. That someone would continue to hurt this precious person. That someone was not going to stop.
Perhaps, if he tried talking to her again, would that change things? It was true that he didn't know much about this woman. Would learning more about her change any of this?
Well, Naruto did try that.
All thanks to Byakuya giving him a chance. The Ultimate Imposter had dug up her number and offered it to Naruto.
The phone call had been brief.
"How did you get my number?"
"That doesn't matter. I just want you to end all of this."
"End what? My relationship with my daughter? Are you delusional? You're the one who stole her from me! You have no right to tell me to do anything!"
"You're only hurting her."
"You don't know a thing about us! This has nothing to do with you, but you decided to stick your nose in our business."
"I'm trying to find a compromise."
"THERE IS NO COMPROMISING! She is my daughter. You are the one who stole her from me. I'm doing this because I love her. One day she will understand this. Mark my words, brat. I will not rest until you are behind bars and she is returned to me. It's only a matter of time. I'm sure even someone as stupid as you has seen the writing on the wall. Your school will have no choice but to return her to me. They know they can't afford to do otherwise."
"You're not going to stop?"
"That should be my line. Don't call me again."
She had hung up on him.
Naruto had remained civil throughout the whole conversation, but his heart had been racing.
Her actions had determined his choice.
He was not going to let Kotoko suffer anymore. Just like with the others who were precious to him, he only wanted to see her smiling for the rest of her life. It's all that mattered to him. Even if Jiraiya did not approve of this, Naruto had resolved himself to walk down this path.
Uzumaki Naruto never broke a promise, after all.
The hotel was in a frenzy. There was an active security team stationed at all entrances, and even several checkpoints to make sure that everything proceeding smoothly.
"Ma'am, how long are we going to be here?"
Kotoko's mother barely registered her secretary's question. She was an average woman you could find anywhere, but she got the job done. She had called the woman down here from her main office in order to organize her security. It wouldn't last long. She was only planning on giving Hope's Peak Academy another day before she carried out her threat. She didn't want to use her leverage so quickly, but they were leaving her little choice. After all, it wasn't every day that one had dirt over several of the patrons of the Hope's Peak Academy. She was sure they were still freaking out over this development. As if she wouldn't have kept proof of their dealings in the past.
It was do or die in this business, after all.
"Not for too much longer. It's not like I want this to drag out either, you know."
If only that brat hadn't interfered. None of this would be happening right now.
"Ahahaha! You sure are cruel, madame."
Kotoko's mother turned to glance back at the "American gentleman." The man hadn't chosen to leave the country yet, but based on the bags by his feet that was no longer the case.
"You're taking off?"
"I'm afraid so. Things are just getting more complicated around here. Can't have my name attached to all of this."
"Aww, that's a shame. I'm sure my daughter will be back in here by tomorrow evening. You can wait that long, can't you?"
She really needed to have this man on her side too.
"I can't take that risk." The man was insistent. "If things manage to blow over, you know how to contact me. Feel free to use the room for a few more days. That's how long I had it for."
So kind of him.
"Until we meet again, madame. Ahahaha!"
Her secretary led the man out of the hotel room. The only way into the room was via elevator that stood just outside the room itself. This meant that it was also the only way to exit it. Technically there was a staircase for emergencies off to the side, but using the stairs was beneath this prestigious gentleman.
So, they waited for the elevator to arrive on this floor. It didn't take long.
The doors to the elevator cracked open.
Neither was prepared to see the masked figure on the other side.
Kotoko's mother savored her cocktail as she stared out into the city from the hotel windows. The city truly came alive during the night. Even from afar, Hope's Peak Academy stood imposing over the entire area. There really was no other place like it. She was many miles away, but her eyes were still drawn to it.
'One day, Kotoko…..one day, you will get there.'
Her daughter would become the number one star in the world. All of this would just be a bump in the road that would soon be forgotten. She was sure of it.
Her daughter was still young. She was naive. She didn't understand how the world really worked.
'You will appreciate my actions someday.'
Of that, she had little doubt.
And so, she took another sip from her drink, her mind full of thoughts for the future.
The doors to the hotel room were suddenly forced open. The woman was just barely able to turn in time to see two bodies being shoved to the floor with a masked figure standing over them, with the strangest sense of déjà vu hitting her.
It took her a second to realize what she was seeing. The two bodies were that of her secretary and the American man. She had no idea if they were alive or not, but that mattered very little when her eyes took in the masked figure. She had no way of knowing who it was. The face was completely obscured, but she saw the strands of spiky blond hair poking out from behind the mask, which reminded her of a fox of all things. Most important of all, this masked figure had a gun in his hand.
And it was aimed straight at her.
"What-"
The first shot came for her. It her straight in the knee, forcing her to fall to the floor with a shriek of pain as her blood splattered on the windows behind her.
Her mind was fuzzy. She couldn't think coherently anymore. Just what was happening? How was this happening? She was meant to be safe against this sort of thing. Who wanted her dead? Why? Was she just going to leave her daughter behind with no one to support her?
The woman could never voice any of these thoughts at this moment. She just couldn't.
Her voice defaulted to her basic instinct of wanting to survive.
"W-Wait, just give me a second!" she pleaded. Her face was contorted in pain as blood started to drip from her wound and onto the floor. She reached out her hand to the masked individual. "Please, just listen to what I have to say! I'm begging you-!"
There was no response from her attacker.
There were only three more shots.
And with them darkness consumed her.
It had been a simple job all things considered. Thanks to Byakuya, Naruto knew exactly where the woman was currently staying at. Sneaking past the so-called security in the hotel had been a cakewalk for Naruto. He had used one of the back entrances where the security had been extremely lax. He had only had to knock out two guards before making his way inside. Along the way, he had taken care of any security camera that could have posed a problem for him. His special made kunai were more than enough for that job.
Thanks to Fuyuhiko, he had managed to get his hands on a Glock. Using a gun served two purposes for him: no one would suspect that he of all people was behind the assassination. As far an outsider would be concerned, it was just the work of a gunman who had somehow managed to get in. Secondly, it was a way to punish himself. He was no fan of using guns, after all. He still managed, thanks to Sonia's training.
All it took was four shots. The first one was meant to hurt her before her death. Did Naruto feel pity for his actions, or how the woman had pleaded for her life at the very end?
No.
In his heart, he had no regrets.
His mind was a different story. This was the second time he had failed to convince a person to let go of their pain and to stop inflicting that pain onto others. It weighed heavily on his mind. Just like with Sae in the Akira case, Kotoko's mother was going to stick in his mind for a while. Perhaps even more so, as this time he had taken the law into his own hands.
But once more, he had no regrets. Uzumaki Naruto did what he thought was right, damn the consequences. A friend of his was now safe. She would no longer have to shoulder any pain. If that meant that he had to bear that pain for her, then so be it. He was fine with that. He wouldn't let them suffer, but he was fine taking that upon himself.
It was hypocrisy of the highest order, but again Naruto was okay with that.
He returned to his home without trouble. The kids were still sleeping in his room with Kurama, so he was probably going to have to sleep in the living room again. He didn't feel comfortable enough using Tengan's room. Ah, but they did have an extra room, did they not?
That would do.
Once he got back, the Uzumaki was met with another surprise.
Sonia was waiting for him outside.
His friends had all gone home once it had gotten dark outside. It had been a pretty chill day for most of them. Tomorrow they were going to resume with their preparations for the school festival, but right now that didn't matter much to him.
More importantly, why was Sonia here?
The Ultimate Princess's face brightened when he made his presence known. He could have gotten past her, but he wasn't going to do that.
"Ah, Naruto! You are back."
"Sonia." He removed his mask. He made sure to keep his gun hidden within his coat. "What are you doing out here so late?"
"I was worried." Sonia didn't hesitate to answer him. Her face showed just how serious she was. "I saw you, Kuzuryu-san, Togami-san, and Komaeda-san going into your room for a bit. I had a feeling something was off. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
She wasn't asking him any questions about where he had been.
Naruto's face softened. He could appreciate her worry.
"Come on in."
Sonia accepted his offer.
The two Ultimates made sure they were quiet as they entered the house. They didn't want to wake up the Li'l Ultimates.
"Did Kuzuryu-san remove his security?" she asked as the two teens made their way to the guest room. "I didn't see them outside when I got here."
"Yeah." Naruto had texted Fuyuhiko after he had completed his mission.
The two entered the guest room.
"There's no longer any need for it," he added. "Tonight ended it all."
He had made sure of it.
Sonia went quiet after hearing this. She just observed Naruto for a bit as he placed his mask down on the nightstand next to the bed with a heavy sigh.
Something was troubling him. Despite being a ninja, his face was still an open book sometimes.
Smiling, Sonia decided her next move pretty quickly.
Naruto was in the middle of removing his coat when he felt Sonia walking up behind him.
"Let me help you with that."
Naruto looked back at her, somewhat confused. "I'm fine. You don't have to."
"I know. I want to." She gave him one of her dazzling smiles that would make anyone in the world want to serve her forever. "I feel a bit inadequate since I was not able to help you tonight. This is the least I can do."
"Sonia, you don't have to think like that." He still let her do what she wanted and remove his coat for him. "You did enough by just being here today."
"Perhaps." Sonia conceded to that as she placed his coat on the foot of the bed. "I still want to do more. I know you're suffering right now."
Naruto waved off her words. "What are you talking about? I'm fine-"
"You can be honest with me, Naruto."
Her words made him pause. He looked down as she grabbed his gloved hand with her own.
"You don't have to carry everything on your own. Did you not say that we were all in this together? And yet, you went off and took care of everything by yourself."
Her accusation made him a bit defensive.
"There was no time. She was going to keep going. I had to do something."
"I'm not blaming you for anything. I'm not going to ask for any specifics. All I want is for you to share your pain with me."
Naruto paused again. He was being one big hypocrite, wasn't he? He had preached so much to the others about sharing their pain with him, but he couldn't do the same when it was his turn.
Dropping his guard, Naruto relaxed as he let Sonia embrace him closer. Her hug felt warm, just like that night. He took in her scent again.
"I'm sorry, Sonia. I was only thinking about trying to keep Kotoko safe that I didn't stop to think about you and everyone else."
Sonia shook her head at this. "Again, I'm not blaming you. I think you made the right choice. A leader…..a king has to do what he has to for the good of his people. I think it's admirable, and I will never condemn you for it."
A king? But he was no king.
Before he could question her about that, Sonia was already leading him to the bed. Naruto let her, feeling weak all of a sudden. He wanted to stop thinking. He just wanted to rest now.
Thankfully, Sonia and her comforting aura were just exactly what he needed to achieve the best rest in the world.
There were no more words exchanged between them.
They would spend the night together.
The incident would go on to make the national news. After all, the mother of such a promising child star had been murdered in her hotel room along with an American citizen. There was no way a story like that wasn't going to get sensationalized. Not just that, but soon after several other individuals in the acting industry would be targeted and systemically taken out in a similar fashion. Wild rumors and conspiracies would spring up as a result, with many claiming that it was some sort of massive hit by the Kuzuryu Clan. After all, no regular group could have ever gotten past an entire security team like it was nothing. The infamous yakuza group would never step up to take responsibility for these murders, however, and so the public was only left with speculation.
Hope's Peak Academy never made any sort of public announcement about the whole thing. They didn't have to. With the death of Kotoko's mother, they were freed from having to make a choice. The Steering Committee saw this as the best possible outcome for them, so they were going to take it.
Chisa was left confused and uncertain about the whole aftermath, while Tengan and Jin kept their thoughts to themselves.
Soon after, Kotoko's father did not hesitate to disown Kotoko and give up any parental rights he had over her. He had no interest in entangling himself with a kid that had brought so much misfortune and despair.
Kotoko's fate would be fully explained later, but the bottom line was that she was finally one hundred percent free from her parents' clutches. She could finally start to put the pain behind her and move on with her life.
With such a publicized incident and the fact that they were in similar fields, it was not surprising to know that a certain teenage fashionista caught wind of all of this.
"Mhmm, that's it, Junko-chan. Smile just like that!"
"We could do with several other poses."
"We still have more outfits to try on."
"They want the cover to be even more extravagant than the one from last month."
Enoshima Junko acted like the simple high school girl that she was meant to be as the lights flashed all around her. This was standard procedure to her by this point. Just another boring photoshoot that in all honesty didn't interest her. But that rang true for most things in her life. The world was just such a boring place. It wasn't her fault that she was done with it all.
On this particular day, however, she would admit to being more upbeat about the world than usual. Ignoring all the pests snapping picture after picture of her, in the background she could see several people talking about the incident with Utsugi Kotoko's mother. It was the gossip of the day, especially since some rumors were starting to go around that maybe Hope's Peak Academy was somehow connected to it all too. After all, Kotoko attended the school, even if it was just the elementary division.
There were many aspects of the case to unpack, and her mind was already putting the puzzle pieces together.
She had but one reaction.
'Puhuhuhu, how despairingly delightful~'
Did Naruto and Sonia spend a night together without showing their Makangos!? How scandalous!
For the record, I don't consider Danganronpa: Togami canon as it goes against a lot of other lore in the series. So no incestious robot waifu for Byakuya. What a shame. That means no Ultimate Secretary either.
That's all from me.
Till next time.