Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.

Chapter 53:
Class Trial

Sato had a plan.

Okay, just as before, she was being really generous with herself when she called it a "plan." Her half-assed "preparations" could at best be called an "objective." They might mean similar things, but they were also very different.

If Sato was thinking more rationally, she would have realized that the steps she intended to take were going to end in failure. After all, she aimed to take the Ultimate Ninja by surprise.

It might sound ludicrous at face value, but in Sato's mind it was the only choice she had. If she attacked head on, then there was no way she could get a strike in. But a sneak attack might be different. There was no way an Ultimate would take someone like her seriously, so that would give her an opportunity. It was still a small opportunity, but at least it was there. It was better than nothing, right?

Securing a knife from the cafeteria in the Reverse Course building was easy. Silverware tended to go missing all the time for various reasons. Surely one simple knife disappearing wouldn't draw too much suspicion.

No one had noticed her sneaking into the kitchen after lunch had ended. All the employees had been more worried about getting a break in after another day's work.

Sneaking into the Main Course building had been a bit more difficult, but it was nothing Sato couldn't handle. Thankfully, Mahiru and the others had secured a route for her so that she could sneak in to hang out with them from time to time. It was all about timing. There were constant guards hanging around the main gates during school hours and even into the afternoon, but they were pretty lax. It seemed like they were more concerned about anyone from the outside trying to sneak in rather than a Reverse Course student getting any funny ideas. Sato wasn't sure if the guards were underestimating them or what, but from what she had heard no Reverse Course student had tried sneaking in so far so it wasn't as though the security force was wrong in its assumption.

If that's what it was anyway. Sato was only speculating here.

Regardless, that was irrelevant. The point was that Sato simply had to bide her time to get into the Main Course building to reach her target. She had missed her afternoon classes by camping out the main gates, but that mattered very little to her. To her, ensuring that Mahiru was freed from the clutches of that bastard Uzumaki was more imperative than any classes.

Sato's aim had initially been to enter the Main Course building, find Naruto, and then trail after him until he was alone. From there, it would just be a simple matter of stabbing him once with the knife and ending his life. He would never see it coming. His arrogance was to be his downfall, and Sato could rest easy knowing that Mahiru was safe. There was no point in trying to talk to him. Sato was certain that an Ultimate like him would never heed her words. Plus, after having Mahiru wrapped around his finger, there was no way he was going to separate himself from her. No, words would solve nothing.

She hadn't thought about what she was going to do after killing the blond. Sato was more concerned about getting the job done. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of getting found out and subsequently getting arrested.

Again, calling her actions a "plan" would be far too kind. She was just desperate, and in her mind this was the only way that she could finally end all the pain she had been through recently. She and Mahiru could go back to how they had been before they entered Hope's Peak Academy. Before Naruto.

All of that went out the window the moment she spotted Naruto in the main hall. Sato hadn't counted on running into the blond so quickly, so she hadn't been fully mentally prepared yet. Something in her had just snapped. All of the anger and resentment bubbling within her had burst open, like a dam finally breaking free from its confinement. All of her negative emotions, amplified by her desperation, had morphed into something ugly.

Sato had truly given herself over to her despair.

And so, she attacked Naruto. It did not matter that there were witnesses. It did not matter that he had spotted her long before she had made her presence known, thus eroding whatever little opening she thought she might have had. Her mind was not considering any of these variables or the consequences that would befall her if she somehow succeeded.

All of that turned out to be irrelevant as the moment she was within striking range Naruto easily swatted the knife away from her hand. It was like Sato's grip had meant nothing to the blond, like she was a little kid being overpowered by someone much older than her. Even if her crazed state, Sato could tell that Naruto was caught off guard by her actions, but his instincts were still sharper than hers.

Sato never stood a chance.

The knife was sent flying across the room, hitting the wall. It was far from Sato's reach and thus no longer a concern for either her or Naruto.

Despite this failure, Sato would not allow herself to fail. She could not.

Barely a second went by before Sato thought of her next move.

Letting out an inhuman scream filled with rage, she went in a second time, this time with her hands. She aimed to strangle the blond. Surely that had to do something.

"WHAT THE FUCK-!?" Kazuichi was screaming as he stumbled back, just barely able to react to what was happening in front of him.

Sato did not give him a second thought. All of her attention was focused solely on Naruto.

Another mistake on her part, as she had no way of seeing Akane rushing behind her to deliver a powerful twisting kick to her back that knocked all the air from her lungs in one swoop. Heck, Sato was sure she puked too as she went rolling across the floor like a rag doll.

"Akane!"

Sato heard Naruto's voice ringing in the room as she fell back against the wall, just like the knife had before her. Her vision was blurry, as were the rest of her senses. That one kick had knocked the fight out of her. She was sure that something in her body was broken now.

'Ah.'

Sato was just barely able to make out Akane's enraged face as the tanned girl stood over her, ready to hit her again, possibly even kill her.

And there was nothing Sato could do about it.

'I guess I should have known better.'

Ultimates really were monsters. Even with the element of surprise, had she really thought that there was a chance of her coming out on top? Really, something must be wrong with her.

Like, how desperate was she?

Sato would have laughed, but she could not. This was the end of the road for her. She was sure that Akane was going to kill her, right here and now.

But the second blow never came. Sato didn't know why. She heard more noises, more screams. Just a bunch of stuff. Her mind could no longer process any of it.

Her already blurry vision began to darken. She thought she saw Akane being tackled by someone, but she couldn't be sure. The world then began to spin. It hurt to even just think.

The last thing Sato saw was another figure coming to stand over her, but she did not know who it was this time.

Then, everything went black.

Sato's head was throbbing with pain. It was like something was continuously pounding against her brain without remorse.

It made her weak.

Her body wasn't holding up any better. Even as she barely started to regain consciousness, she could feel that her body was telling her to go back to the realm of the unconscious.

Regardless of the pain, Sato began to stir. It was a slow process, as even just breathing felt painful.

She couldn't remember much. She knew for a fact that she had been knocked out, but what happened after that? Where was she now? And why were there so many voices around her?

Her eyes were slow to open. They weren't complying with Sato's wishes to see what was going on around her.

The first thing she noticed was that her vision was still really blurry. She could tell that was she in a seated position, but despite that everything still felt like it was swirling around her. It was like she was in a roller coaster or something. It made her want to throw up.

Thankfully, she didn't.

Despite the massive headache, Sato was still able to better articulate the voices that were still talking around her. Those voices started to die down the second her vision became less blurry.

"Oh, looks like the bitch is finally starting to wake up. Lucky us."

"Saionji-san, I understand your anger, but-"

"H'mph, there are no 'buts' here, Big Sis! This trashy, piece of shit could have stayed unconscious for all I care!"

"As detestable as those words may be, she has a point. I was about to unleash the full might of my wrath on this creature. The gates of Pandemonium would have swallowed her whole…..!"

"See! The idiot breeder agrees with me!"

"If those two are agreeing on something, the world really might end."

"Shut it, big bro Hanamura!"

"Oh my, mhmm~"

There were other voices after that, but Sato couldn't make them out as another sharp pain rang in her head.

This was unpleasant.

The world around her wasn't spinning anymore at least, so there was progress. Not only that, but she was finally able to realize three important details: she was in a classroom. She didn't recognize it, but she knew it had be to in Hope's Peak Academy. There was no other explanation. Second, there was barely any light coming from the windows in the classroom. When she had made up her mind to sneak into the Main Course building, it had been around two o'clock. Plenty of sunlight out. Now, she could tell that the Sun was already descending through the windows. Just how long had she been out for?

Finally….she was tied up. She was seated in one of the desks in the middle of the classroom, but her hands and arms were tied together to the desk, keeping her in place. If she wanted to move, she would have to drag the entire wooden desk with her. Not a fun experience.

Not that Sato thought she could do that, for as her mind registered those three details she was finally coherent enough to notice what was perhaps the most crucial fact here: she was not alone. Far from it.

Sato would have looked more surprised if she was physically able as she came face-to-face with the entirety of class 77-B, minus Chisa. Sixteen Ultimates were staring her down, and Sato felt her fear skyrocket. They were standing around her, forming a circle.

Why had she been brought here and what was going to happen to her?

Sato was afraid of both questions and what answers they would bring.

Well, the choice was out of her hands now.

She could only wait to find out.

The classroom was full of emotions.

After Sato's unexpected attack and Akane subsequently knocking her out, Naruto had been quick to take matters into his hands. It had taken some convincing on his part to get Akane to carry Sato to their classroom without doing anything else to her, namely killing her. The Ultimate Gymnast was already pissed off that Naruto had stopped her from inflicting more damage to Sato, so it was a miracle that he was able to calm her down at all. Thankfully, it had taken him less time to convince Kazuichi to find some rope to tie the unconscious Sato to one of the desks in the classroom while he went to gather everyone else.

He had decided to act independently when dealing with Kotoko's mother, but that was not a mistake that he was going to commit again. This time, Naruto was going to include all of his friends in deciding what to do next. Also, he admittedly had no idea what had prompted Sato to attack him in the first place. Perhaps Mahiru would be able to shed some light on this mystery for him.

Naruto actively chose to leave Chisa out of this. It was not that he didn't trust the woman. In fact, he quite liked her and her personality. She was someone who would be more than willing to help her students in need. She had proved this with her actions when Kotoko had been in trouble. However, she was also a teacher. If she found out that Sato had attacked him, then expulsion would be the least of Sato's worries. Naruto needed more information before deciding how he wanted to deal with Sato. It only seemed fair to him.

It was not hard to track the others down. Those that he couldn't find, like Chiaki and Sonia, he just sent a quick text to. Kurama was quick to join him, and there would be no arguing with his fox companion about this. He was going to take part in what was going to happen next, even if it was just as a spectator as he observed everything from the podium with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction lounging on his fur.

It took about an hour to get all the sixteen Ultimates in the classroom, which then led them to their current predicament.

Naruto told them what had happened, with Akane and Kazuichi backing up his account. That part didn't take long. The problem came after. They didn't know what to do, and it quickly descended into a free-for-all debate with many just damming Sato on the spot. This left Mahiru feeling pretty isolated, but she did not say much at first as she merely looked at the unconscious Sato with sadness.

Before that, though, Naruto had urged Mikan to take a look at Sato to make sure that nothing in her body was permanently broken.

The Ultimate Nurse had refused, her eyes cold as she had stared at the unconscious Sato with clear murderous intent. He and Nekomaru could take Akane's hits, but Naruto wasn't sure how someone like Sato would handle the Ultimate Gymnast.

"I do not want to help her. She tried to kill you."

Mikan hadn't felt any need to help Sato, not after what she had done.

"Mikan, please. I know you're angry, but-"

"More like, why aren't you angry?" Fuyuhiko had asked, clearly not happy about what Naruto wanted Mikan to do. "The bitch tried to kill you."

Mahiru had looked conflicted at the time too, her knees trembling. "P-Perhaps this is just a misunderstanding….."

Akane had scowled at this. "That was no misunderstanding. I could feel this girl's emotions. She wanted to kill Uzumaki. There's no mistake about that."

"Y-Yeah," Kazuichi had spoken up here. "You should have seen the look on her face. She was totally crazy!"

Mahiru had glared at the mechanic. "She's not crazy!"

"Oh yeah! Then explain this!" Kazuichi hadn't backed down as he glared back at Mahiru. "She had a knife and came for Uzumaki, ready to stab him! How else can you explain that, huh!?"

This had made Mahiru shrink back to herself, unable to counter Kazuichi's words. And perhaps she hadn't wanted to, but it had been clear that she still wasn't happy with what Kazuichi had been saying.

There had been more words traded among as emotions had been running high, and were still running high, but Naruto had kept his focus on Mikan.

"Please." He had urged her again.

Mikan had looked into the blond's pleading eyes and had instantly caved. When he was giving her such a desperate look, then there was nothing else that she could do.

She had relented. "Fine. But I'm not happy about this."

Naruto had just nodded and given her his thanks. At the time, he had been thankful to have Mikan feel so angry on his behalf and he still was. But right now, he felt like they needed to move past that.

Something which was easier said than done, as this led them to their current impasse, which was also when Sato started to finally wake up.

"T'ch, looks like the crazy bitch is going to be alright, after all," Fuyuhiko said with obvious disdain as Sato's eyes started to focus on the world around them.

Mikan's quick analysis had shown that by some miracle Akane's kick hadn't permanently damaged Sato's body. She might have a mild concussion, but beyond that she was just going to be feeling very sore for the next couple of days, perhaps longer. This was a punishment that many of them felt was too good for the girl.

Hiyoko snickered, but her eyes were filled with nothing but contempt. "I bet she doesn't even know where she is right now. Big sis Owari must have knocked whatever little sense she had out of her."

"Did she even have any sense in the first place?" Ibuki wondered. "To attack Naruto-chan like that with a simple knife. It's so stupid! And Ibuki thought she knew her. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, huh."

"More like there's always a front and a back," Nekomaru said with a shake of his head.

Ibuki laughed, but it was obvious that she was just trying to lighten the mood. "Ahahaha! Yeah, that's a lot smarter than what Ibuki was trying to say!"

Mahiru looked like she wanted to tell them to cut it out, but she didn't say anything. She didn't even rush to her friend's side to see if she was alright. She couldn't, mostly because she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing right now. Who was she meant to be more worried about here?

She felt lost.

"W-What?" Sato barely managed to get the word out as she looked at the Ultimates surrounding her. "I-I don't….."

"You don't what?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the girl, scowling. "Did you not think your actions were going to have consequences? Well, these are the consequences."

"Pfft, Mister Ham Hands, I don't think she understands logic anymore," Hiyoko snorted.

"Truly, for such a lowly mortal to raise arms against another in such a manner….." Gundham trailed off, his eyes closed.

"It's truly unforgivable!" Teruteru raged. The veins on his head looked like they were ready to burst. "I can't believe Miss Sato would attempt something so foolish!"

Peko's eyes were cold. "Indeed. I did not expect something like this from her. To strike at my friend is…."

Her hands were twitching. It was obvious she was holding herself back from grabbing her sword and doing something that she might regret later.

"We've been going back and forth on this for a while," Chiaki cut in. She stepped closer to Naruto as the others all turned to her. "We all agree that this is a very troubling situation, but we have to understand why. Otherwise, we are not going to be getting anywhere."

They couldn't spend the whole night in the classroom.

"Huh? Do we?" Hiyoko sneered as she looked at Sato who was still too weak to speak. "This disgusting bitch is guilty, isn't she? Who cares about her reasons?"

Mahiru bit her lip. "But-"

"THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!" Hiyoko shouted. The others all turned to her with wide eyes. They did not expect a shout like that from Hiyoko of all people. Their surprise then turned to understanding, or in Naruto's case just more surprise as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Don't you get it? This disgusting piece of trash tried to t-take Big Bro from us…..why should we listen to anything that s-she has to say, huh!? Nothing c-could excuse that. WAAAAAAHHHHH….!"

Mahiru had to look away as Hiyoko finally burst into tears. She knew there was nothing she could say to that, because it was true. And plus…..it wasn't like she wasn't angry right now either. She wanted to tell Sato that she was an idiot for what she did, but she wasn't strong enough to do that either.

"S-Saionji-san," Sonia muttered, her eyes watering ever so slightly. She could understand Hiyoko's distress perfectly right now. She was certain the others could too.

No one could offer her words of sympathy as they were all dealing with their own emotions about this turn of events. No one could have imagined that they would have to be dealing with something like this today, and so soon after they had learned of Kotoko's past and subsequent fallout.

Sato looked like she wanted to say something, but Byakuya took notice of this and silenced her with a glare.

"You have no right to speak."

She wilted away at the calm dismissal. Mahiru wasn't even trying to protect her. What sort of defense could she be giving right now if her best friend wasn't even trying to stick up for her?

Naruto ignored that small exchange as he walked up to the crying Hiyoko. Her tears had caught him off guard, but he was able to think more clearly now.

The blond bent down to get at eye level with Hiyoko who was sniffling. The tears were still running down her cheeks, and it made for a heart wrenching sight.

"It's okay, Hiyoko," Naruto said softly as he gently wiped some of the tears from her eyes. "I'm still here. There's nothing to cry about."

"B-But." Hiyoko's lips trembled as she tried to speak. "W-What if something h-had happened? A-And I wouldn't have been able to protect you?"

Kazuichi felt slightly insulted. "I guess we don't count, huh."

He was quickly shushed by Fuyuhiko.

Akane didn't seem to mind Hiyoko's words as she stared out the window, hard. She knew if she took one look at Sato right now she would start dishing out punches.

"If it comes down to that, I'm sure you will," Naruto reassured her. "But it's okay, I'm not dying anytime soon. That's a promise. So you don't have to look so sad, okay?"

Hiyoko tried to reign in her tears. "Y-You extra promise?"

"Yep. Extra extra promise."

Not trusting her voice any longer, Hiyoko meekly nodded as Naruto began to gently pat her head. Normally, if it were anyone else, she would hate such a gesture. But perhaps it was because of that chakra thing that Naruto told them about, but it just made Hiyoko feel safe and warm. She never wanted to lose that feeling.

Sato silently glared at Naruto, but that glare lessened when she felt Mahiru's disappointing eyes on her. For the first time, Sato took a chance to look at her best friend. When she did, her heart shattered into pieces.

Mahiru did not look happy.

"How could you…..?"

The question was uttered in a whisper, but everyone heard it.

It made Sato look down in shame. But what shame, she still didn't know.

"Ah, such a disgusting sight." Nagito looked down in disappointment, sighing to himself. "To think that someone like Sato-san could cause you all so much pain. It's truly unforgivable."

Even in her state, Sato mustered the strength to raise her head to glare at the luckster.

"You damned…..!"

If she could scream louder, then she would have.

"H'mph, you just can't listen, can you?" Byakuya wasn't happy that Sato was talking again, but he shook his head. "Well, whatever. We still need to hear from you, I suppose. As distasteful as it may be, we need to understand why you would attack Naruto."

That was the question in all of their minds, even Mahiru's.

"I-Isn't that obvious?" Sato's throat felt dry, but she still gathered enough energy to force the words out. She wasn't going to let herself be proven wrong here. "I wanted to free M-Mahiru from Uzumaki's clutches."

Of all the motives for murder that Byakuya could have heard, this was not one that he would have guessed.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Byakuya scoffed. "What kind of reasoning is that?"

Nagito frowned. "Of all the disappointments. Did you really think such a thing was possible?"

Perhaps it was because she was too angry that Mahiru didn't take notice of Nagito's words so she didn't comment on them. Rather, she pointed at Sato with clear frustration.

"This again!? I thought I told you that it was pointless! Why on earth do you want me to end my friendship with Naruto!?"

This caught Naruto's attention as he got back up to his feet. He didn't move away from Hiyoko, however. Or more like, the blonde didn't let him as she clung to his side like glue. It was something that Mikan noticed, and she almost glared at her for it.

But that wasn't important right now.

"What do you mean, Mahiru?" Naruto said to the Ultimate Photographer. "You knew something about this?"

He wasn't accusing the redhead of anything. He was just confused.

It didn't stop Mahiru from feeling guilty as she answered.

"It's something that happened earlier today. When I went to see Sato around lunchtime, she asked me to stop spending time with you. Even though I asked her why, she wouldn't tell me. I told her I couldn't do that, a-and that I was going to find some way to patch up whatever misunderstanding there was between you two. It's all that I've been thinking about since, but then this happened…"

Naruto was only more confused now. As far as he was aware, he hadn't done anything to anger Sato.

"Fucking hell." Fuyuhiko nearly spat on the floor. "What the hell is this broad even on, to request something like that?"

"It does not make much sense," Sonia muttered, also trying to understand why Sato would ask Mahiru something like that. How could the girl think of trying to split up their class? Sonia would never allow something like that!

"Oh." Nagito looked at Sato with contempt. "So Sato-san attempted something like that. I had no idea…."

He couldn't believe the audacity of someone so worthless.

"I guess those that are jealous of the symbols of hope would do anything to stifle their light. I underestimated how unsightly that jealousy would become. It is disgraceful."

Chiaki looked at Nagito in disapproval. "Komaeda-kun, this isn't the time for that."

They couldn't handle Nagito's ramblings on top of what they were trying to figure out.

"More like, we should be asking you questions too!" Kazuichi said as he pointed at Nagito this time. "When Sato went batshit crazy, she mentioned you too!"

That got some rasied eyebrows.

"Oh yeah." Akane clicked her teeth together in annoyance as she tried to remember what Sato had said. "She might have said something like that."

She had been more worried about the knife and attempted murder, but whatever.

Naruto recalled that too.

"What do you mean?" Mahiru asked, now more confused. "Why would Sato mention Komaeda-san?"

As far as she was aware, the two weren't close or anything.

"There is something else at work here," Gundham said, trying to sound like he knew more than he really did.

"It's like a big mystery!" Ibuki exclaimed with her arm raised. "Ibuki doesn't understand much of any of this, but does this mean that Nagito-chan is involved with Sato's madness?"

"D-Don't say that I'm mad!" Sato forced out as she turned her glare on Ibuki who just blinked with curiosity. "I told you, I had m-my reasons!"

Hiyoko glared at her. "Stupid reasons!"

"They are not!" Sato said in return with a lot of fire. Adrenaline was starting to flow through her again, making her get a second wind of sorts. She really needed it. "I have proof that Uzumaki is just using Mahiru for his own purposes! I bet it's the same with the rest of you! He just wants your talents for himself! Komaeda the bastard told me so himself!"

What in the world? What kind of nonsense was that?

Naruto was trying to understand this, and admittedly he was having a lot of trouble. He just couldn't believe that Sato would be thinking something like that. No, it was Nagito who had put that idea in her head…..supposedly.

"What did she just say?" Nekomaru wanted to make sure that he had heard Sato correctly. "She thinks we're being used by Uzumaki?"

"Not just that, but that Nagito-chan told her about it," Ibuki was quick to add as she pointed at the Ultimate Lucky Student who was just staring at Sato with more disapproval.

But disapproval of what?

Teruteru let out a nervous laugh as a lot of his anger was replaced by just straight up bewilderment.

"I feel like my head is about to spin. This just ain't adding up!"

No one bothered to comment on his sudden accent there at the end.

Byakuya looked annoyed again. "What utter foolishness."

"Komaeda-san, what is the meaning of this?" Mahiru had now switched her attention to Nagito who still hadn't said anything. "What did you tell Sato?"

Was Nagito that other person that Sato had mentioned earlier? If so, then Mahiru couldn't believe it. The two had barely interacted with one another as far as she was aware.

Again, what the heck was going on here!?

"You better speak up." Hiyoko was in no mood for games.

Naruto just glanced at Nagito, waiting patiently for the luckster to explain himself.

For his part, Nagito was still staring at Sato. It took a few moments, but he finally let out another sigh.

"Is there any reason for me to answer that question? It's irrelevant for me to explain myself to someone like Sato-san, isn't it?"

His voice hadn't changed from its low and soft tone, but it carried a lot of disdain, all of which was aimed at Sato.

"Okay, he's starting to act weird again," Kazuichi said with a roll of his eyes.

Fuyuhiko scowled. "This isn't the time for your theatrics, Komaeda."

"And what do you mean 'someone like her'!?" Mahiru asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Nagito turned to Mahiru with some confusion. How could she ask something like that? "A stepladder like herself doesn't need to understand. Or rather, I should say that she's incapable of understanding. Isn't that what led us to this moment?"

"Ugh, he's confusing us again!" Hiyoko cried out as she shook her head in annoyance.

"Komaeda-san, you need to speak more clearly," Peko instructed as she crossed her arms. "Just what did you and Sato talk about?"

Sighing, Nagito answered. "I told her the truth. I told her that Uzumaki-kun was important to Koizumi-san, and that Koizumi-san was important to Uzumaki-kun."

That was it? It sounded innocent enough.

"How could she misunderstand that?" Mikan wondered, not getting it.

"T-That wasn't it!" Sato cut in with clear desperation. "He said that Mahiru was needed for Uzumaki's goals! Obviously that means that he's taking advantage of her!"

"How utterly disappointing," Nagito said with a shake of his head. "I suppose this is my fault. Even after everything I've said, I've still overestimated you so much."

"Don't give me that crap!" Sato said frantically. "You can't just take back what you told me!"

"I'm not taking anything back," Nagito retorted. "You just fail to understand the obvious."

"Cut the crap already!" Sato nearly growled. "Your words were obvious! That's why I decided to cut Uzumaki out of Mahiru's life once and for all! I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of her!"

"Ooooookay, we're back to this again," Ibuki said while poking her fingers together. It was somewhat of a nervous tick for her. "Can someone understand these two, because Ibuki cannot."

Chiaki frowned. "It sounds like Komaeda-kun was trying to confuse Sato-san."

When it was put like that, Ibuki could understand, no problem!

"Confuse her?" Nagito looked perplexed. "What are you talking about, Nanami-san? Did I not say it already? I just told Sato-san the truth. After all, did we not all agree to help Uzumaki-kun with his dream?" Nagito smiled widely as he spread his arms out. "In fact, we're doing precisely what Hope's Peak Academy was designed to do from the very beginning! You, the symbols of hope, with your ultimate talents, have all come together as one and are being led by the one true hope! It's fantastic! It's only been a couple of months, but you're already shining brighter than when you first started coming here! It's been perfect! It's more than just fate. It's hope itself!"

"He's going on another rant of his," Kazuichi sulked. He hated the fact that he wasn't all that weirded out by what Nagito was saying. Was he that used to the luckster?

"His words are truly…..distasteful," Sonia said, trying to choose her words carefully.

Nagito wasn't dissuaded. "I'm sure none of you can deny it! You must all see what I've seen! Since our first meeting, you've all become stronger than before!"

"Heh, I guess I can understand that a little." Akane smirked. "Training with Uzumaki and old man Nidai has felt pretty great."

"Of course you would say that." Nekomaru crossed his arms over his massive chest. "However, that's not all that Komaeda is alluding to."

With a hand on his glasses, Byakuya agreed. "I concur. The manner in which he speaks is far from ideal, but Komaeda raises an interesting point. We've all certainly changed. We are different from the people who first set foot at this school."

That was especially true about himself, Byakuya silently mused.

Peko couldn't agree more. "Yes, that is true. I cannot deny that."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "Well, I guess the idiot has rubbed off on us a little."

Before, he never would have wanted to use his clan's resources so easily. But now, Fuyuhiko was more than willing to lean on them if it meant helping those close to him.

"Truly, I've made a lot of great memories so far!" Sonia gushed.

"Ehehe, Ibuki thought it impossible, but she's certainly shining a lot more than before~" She winked as she said this. "She's a more beautiful star than before!"

"I've found the most important ingredient for my cooking!" Teruteru exclaimed as he combed his hair. "In fact, I'm regularly being reminded of it every day."

Naruto started to feel a little self-conscious here. When did all of this switch over to him?

"Incredible, isn't it?" Nagito's smile seemed to get wider. "Uzumaki-kun managed to show all of us the meaning of true hope! You all felt it too, didn't you? When he returned from his mission. He has that within himself! He wants to bring that to the rest of the world! And all of us have chosen to aid him in that path!"

They all remembered the promise they had made during their camping trip. After everything that's happened since then, there was no way they were going to go back on their word now.

"This is a road that shall not be traveled alone, not anymore," Gundham said, smirking. "Even a supreme being such as I require his annoying persistence from time to time. My All-Seeing third eye has gleamed this to be true, and now I have become so much stronger in the dark arts. Kekekeke."

Naruto felt embarrassed. "I appreciate that, I really do. But I think you guys are overestimating me."

"More like you doubt yourself too much," Byakuya retorted with a roll of his eyes. "It gets annoying sometimes."

"That is true." Hiyoko laughed as she leaned closer to him, much to Mikan's and Sonia's annoyance. "I guess Big Bro will always be an idiot."

Now that wasn't fair.

Mahiru looked down at her camera. She knew that there was truth in Nagito's words. Because of Naruto, she had managed to find a grander purpose for her photography skills. She had managed to make so many new connections that now she had a stronger foundation on which to improve.

"W-What the hell?" Sato's voice brought her and the others back to the reason as to why they had gathered here in the first place. "What is all of this? How can all of you be smiling at a time like this? When you're being used like this?"

"Don't you get it now by now?" Fuyuhiko said rhetorically. "No one is being used."

"It's more like we're following Naruto-chan willingly!" Ibuki added.

Teruteru whistled. "He's completely seduced us to his side."

Again, watch your phrasing!

"As if he could do anything on his own." Hiyoko snickered.

Chiaki shook her head. "I think you've been misguided, Sato-san. There is no nefarious plot happening here."

"It's more like the opposite," Kazuichi said with a hand on his cap. "We can think beyond ourselves now. I still have my dream, but as annoying as it might be I want to help Uzumaki with his dream too."

A feral smirk spread across Akane's face. "It gets my blood pumping!"

Sato didn't get it. Her eyes and ears were telling her one thing, but her brain was refusing to acknowledge all of this.

"Sato."

Mahiru's voice snapped her back to attention. Sato felt her heart start to race as Mahiru walked closer to her, with her camera in her hands.

"I'm not being used. I should have acted sooner and explained all of this to you. Naruto wants to bring peace to the world. That is his goal. It's a dream that his master passed down to him, and we all volunteered to help him. I'm not being forced to do anything, and I'm not being manipulated."

There was no doubt in Mahiru's eyes when she said this. It was enough to make Sato falter in what she thought had been her most important task.

Had she really been wrong all along?

Clapping his hands, Naruto got everyone to turn their attention to him as he walked over to stand next to Mahiru and in front of the tied Sato.

"Alright! This whole thing still has me confused, but there are three things that I want to say."

For reasons she could not understand, Sato was unable to look away from the blond. It was like his presence was demanding attention right now.

"A-And what are those?" she asked the question before she had a chance to think about it.

"The first thing is that you're wrong about my relationship with Mahiru." Naruto shot the redhead a smile, which she returned, albeit a bit more meekly. It was cute. "Like she said, I'm not using her. In fact, I respect her. It was thanks to her that I was able to understand how powerful pictures could be."

"I-I know that already!" Sato cut in, her expression frantic. "I've been with her longer than you! Than any of you!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. "What does that have to do with anything? Her skills are the real deal. You don't need to be around her for too long to see that."

Sato couldn't refute that, annoyingly enough, so she stayed quiet.

Naruto carried on. "You might find this hard to believe, but where I come from cameras are rarely used. We don't have anything as fancy as the ones around here either. They aren't really widespread. Because of that, pictures are only taken for special occasions. Maybe it's because of that the pictures kinda felt very fabricated at times. Or maybe I just didn't spend enough time around them. Who knows. Mahiru showed me that with the cameras here and her skills she can capture more regular moments that might otherwise be missed. I know people have said that her pictures can be boring because she's only focusing on the regular stuff, but I think it's the opposite. She's able to uplift the ones being photographed just by looking at themselves. How amazing is that? A moment that might seem unimportant can be viewed from a different angle and give a person an entirely different perspective about themselves. To me, that is beyond amazing! It showed me just how powerful pictures can be, and it made me jealous. It's something that I want others to be able to feel, and Mahiru can do it without saying a single word. It's just so cool."

Mahiru already knew how Naruto felt about her pictures, but hearing it again still made her blush hard. It didn't help that Fuyuhiko, Teruteru, and Ibuki were sending her smirks while the others all looked at her with smiles.

It was just too embarrassing! She didn't want to be in the spotlight like this. Mahiru wanted to find a hole to hide in forever.

But Naruto wasn't done.

"There was one picture that I stared at the most. I used to be a part of a team, and we all took a photo together to celebrate that. I kinda had some issues with one of my teammates at the time and he had issues with me, so in the picture you see us just basically snarling at one another."

Okay, maybe it was like he was the one doing that. Sasuke had just ignored him, trying to be "above it at all." His best friend had been such an asshole.

Mahiru was surprised. "Naruto, you never said anything about that."

Naruto scratched his cheek as the others looked at him with open curiosity.

"W-Well, in the grand scheme of things, it's kind of minor." When he had the war to talk about and people like Madara and Nagato, you forget certain details like that. "The point is that that picture always brought some amount of pain to me."

Sato didn't get it. She didn't understand many things about Naruto's story so far, like why he had a team in the first place or how there weren't many cameras around. The village he came from must be very weird. Did they live in the dark ages? But regardless, there was one thing that she didn't understand the most.

"Why would that picture bring you pain?"

The others could all guess why, but they were going to let Naruto answer that for himself.

"My team kinda…..broke apart. One of my teammates decided to leave the village to pursue his goal of revenge. I felt abandoned. I felt like he was being selfish and did not bother to understand the reasons for his actions. Every time I looked at that picture, I felt the same way. There was only an empty feeling that I could never close."

His friends all listened closely. This was the first time they were hearing any of this. Sure, Naruto had told them about Sasuke and his betrayal, but not so much about the impact it had on him. They could have made guesses, but hearing it from Naruto himself was far more impactful.

Sato found herself captivated by the story. "You felt such things from a picture…."

"It's funny how it works out sometimes," Naruto said with a half-shrug, smiling a little. "I never gave it much thought honestly, but pictures have a way of capturing emotions. That picture of my team made me remember the simpler times, but it was also a reminder that those simpler times were gone. I probably don't have to tell you this, but pictures are powerful."

Of course Sato knew that already.

"That's why I find Mahiru so amazing." Naruto looked at the redhead again who avoided his gaze out of embarrassment. "She showed me another side of photography. We've all been able to remember the good times we've had. Seeing everyone smile always makes me smile too."

"Y-You don't have to keep repeating it, jeez," Mahiru muttered, finding the floor very interesting at the moment.

The others were all amused by this.

Naruto chuckled at her reaction before continuing. "But despite that, Sato, I didn't befriend Mahiru because she's the Ultimate Photographer. I admire her skills, sure, but I care more about her than her title. We might have been able to meet because of it, but to me that's not really important."

Every single one of them knew that Naruto felt the same way about them too.

This caused Nagito to frown but for now he said nothing.

"That's impossible!" Sato exclaimed, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe that Naruto would say something like that. "Of course you care! Mahiru's talent can change the world!"

"I'm not arguing that, but Mahiru is more than just her talent." Here, Naruto frowned as he asked Sato a simple question. "Are you telling me that the only reason you're friends with Mahiru is because of her talent? Is that it?"

His question had Sato enraged, but at the same time she found herself not snapping back right away.

Why was that?

There was a moment of self-reflection for Sato, despite the fact that she had already dismissed Naruto's ludicrous claim.

"Of course that's not it. It's just like you said. It's only because of our love of photography that Mahiru and I met in the first place. It's just that she's different from me. Everyone can tell from just meeting her. She's an Ultimate!"

"I think I'm starting to understand." Naruto looked at Sato with clear disappointment.

Sato realized this right away, but that was because Naruto wasn't trying to hide it. Despite Nagito having expressed a similar sentiment towards her, this was different. Instead of feeling anger, Sato was forced to look away. Because Naruto wasn't looking down at her like Nagito had. He was pitying her.

And she couldn't bear that.

"I think you're doubting yourself too much," Naruto said after a moment's silence. "Whether small or big, anyone is able to make an impact. It's all just about taking that first step."

"Don't talk like you understand," Sato said through clenched teeth. "You're an Ultimate too. I'm sure everything has been nice for you with your talent. It's not so simple for the rest of us."

Naruto almost snorted at that. "That's just you defining yourself as worthless. Did Mahiru ever think of you as beneath her? You've only pushed that image onto yourself, and then assumed Mahiru was thinking the same thing. How can you claim to be her friend when you don't even understand her feelings?"

Those words cut deep through Sato, as they made her once again question her motives. Had she been wrong in all of this?

"Sato…" Mahiru almost reached for the girl, but she held herself back as her face became firm. "I share part of the responsibility too. I never realized that you were doubting yourself so much. I should have been more attentive."

Fuyuhiko let out a dry chuckle. "Don't sweat it. It's not like I don't understand having poor communication skills."

Peko was somewhat amused when she realized what her young master was talking about. "I concur. We've known each other since we were infants, and we faced a similar dilemma."

"Words can cause such a profound ripple, whether they are uttered or not," Gundham said with a nod. "It is a profane art, being able to express the emotion in one's heart without causing misunderstanding. Perhaps, in the end, we are all stumbling in the dark."

"Ha, I quite like that sentiment!" Nekomaru laughed. "In the game of life, we're all still rookies, aren't we!"

Ibuki winked. "We are still just students, after all~"

"Indeed." Sonia shot Naruto a smile which he returned. "Sharing one's emotions with those around you is a difficult task. It can take an entire lifetime to master such a skill."

"What are all of you talking about?" Sato asked again as she found the courage to look at the sixteen Ultimates before her. "How could any of you understand that? How?"

"Man, somehow you're starting to talk like Komaeda," Kazuichi griped while rolling his eyes. "I know I'm awesome, but I have emotions too, you know!"

Hiyoko snickered. "More like, that's all you have."

"Hey!"

"But that's exactly what Big Bro was referring to." Hiyoko ignored Kazuichi's indignant shout in order to glare at Sato again. "You claim to have Big Sis's friendship, but you've only been pushing your worthless insecurities on her this whole time. Talk about stupidity. It makes me want to spit on you."

Naruto almost flicked her on the nose. "Don't go too far."

Hiyoko didn't seem to care if she did. "Hey, this stupid bitch still tried to kill you. I'm not letting her off the hook that easily."

Fair enough, he supposed.

Sato bit her lip, her mind conflicted.

"You've all….had insecurities?"

How was that even possible?

"More than you think," Mikan said with a somewhat sour expression.

"Everyone seems to carry those," Byakuya quietly agreed.

"Well, despite my refined tastes and looks, I must admit that there are times where I've felt my shortcomings," Teruteru cheerfully admitted as he let out a low whistle that had Hiyoko shivering in disgust.

Akane shrugged. "It's just another form of weakness, and it's not about not having them. You just gotta face them head on. With your fists!"

Naruto was glad Akane felt that way, but he wasn't entirely sure that she completely understood that that was not physically possible.

"I've always had them." Mahiru wasn't afraid to admit this. She wasn't going to let this misunderstanding between her and Sato continue. "I've been insecure about many things in the past, but I was still able to move past them because I knew I could count on you. You're the one who helped me the most throughout middle school. Can't you see that? You are important to me, regardless of whether you're at this school or not. I guess you're a lot more dense than you look if you can't understand something that simple."

Mahiru was making fun of her. Somehow, that had the effect of calming Sato's mind. It showed her that her friend hadn't fully abandoned her. At the very least, it was enough for Sato to get a better understanding of what was happening.

She hadn't understood a thing. Not just about Naruto, but about Mahiru too. She had attacked the blond out of some self-imposed self loathing. Naruto wasn't trying to take advantage of Mahiru. The whiskered blond had a dream, true, but Mahiru was not only aware of it but wanted to help him out of her own free will. None of the conclusions that she had arrived at were true.

More importantly, there was some purpose to her existence, after all. She was not an Ultimate, but Mahiru was telling her that she was valuable to her. Sato was being acknowledged in a way that she hadn't thought was possible. There were things even an "ordinary" person could do. It wasn't just a matter of whether she had talent or not.

Sato had been defeated, plain and simple. But she was not sad about this outcome. far from it. She was grateful that this was how it had all ended.

Sato bowed her head.

"Uzumaki-san…..I am so sorry."

It meant very little now. Sato wasn't expecting forgiveness. She had attempted to do something that could never be taken back. If she was condemned because of it, then so be it.

Instead of scornful words, Sato was met with jubilant laughter from the whiskered blond. He didn't expect to become "Uzumaki-san" all of a sudden, but whatever.

"Ahahaha! I accept your apology, Sato. But I don't think I'm the only one you should be apologizing to here."

Once again, Sato was speechless. How could Naruto be laughing at a time like this?

"You're accepting this?" Byakuya was the first to question Naruto's answer with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yeah." Naruto shrugged. "No one was hurt, and Sato understands the full picture now. I'm pretty sure she's never going to try something like this again."

"That's not the point," Mikan said with a heated glare aimed at Sato. "She tried to kill you. She almost….."

She didn't finish that sentence. She would just get more angry if she did.

"I'm aware of what she tried to do, Mikan." Naruto still shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter now. Besides, some of my best friends tried to kill me when I first met them. I'm used to it by now."

Fuyuhiko looked exasperated. "Like I said, weird bastard."

He didn't argue, though.

Ibuki laughed. "It's such a carefree attitude that I'm almost jealous!"

Chiaki smiled softly. "I think it's for the best."

Sonia held a hand over her heart. "I must admit, I'm having some trouble accepting this so easily. However, if Naruto is in agreement, then I will try my best to accept his judgement."

"Even foolish mortals deserve second chances I suppose," Gundham said, his eyes closed again. "Were I the judge, I would have delivered a more crushing blow."

"However, the path to redemption can indeed be a difficult one." Nekomaru looked thoughtful as he thought about Naruto's decision. "Some can even be burdened by it. It can perhaps be seen as a form of punishment in its own way."

Teruteru chuckled. "I don't really mind either way. I'll follow Uzumaki-kun's lead on this."

"H'mph, well I don't." Hiyoko huffed in disapproval. "How can we trust her again? What would be the point? I don't want to be around someone like her. Count me out."

"I have to agree." Mikan's face hadn't lost its anger. Like Akane before, she was trying to avoid looking at Sato so that she wouldn't explode in anger. "I see no reason to forgive her."

"True, I feel as you do," Peko agreed. "However, if Naruto, the victim, says that he can forgive her, then there is nothing more to be done."

"Stay out of this, you four-eyed troll." Hiyoko glowered. "I don't need your stupid logic right now."

Fuyuhiko couldn't fault Hiyoko or Mikan for what they were saying, even if he didn't like Hiyoko's nickname for Peko. "It's not like they're wrong honestly."

"Man, this is becoming such a pain." Akane picked her ear in boredom. "Who cares about forgiving her? It's not like we have to be her friend if we don't want to."

"You're telling me." Kazuichi could still remember how crazy Sato had looked when she had attacked Naruto. There was no way he could look at the girl the same way again.

Naruto frowned. Like Fuyuhiko had said, he couldn't blame Hiyoko or Mikan for what they were feeling. At the same time, he didn't necessarily think it was right either.

"You two know what happened before, right? What I did in order to save Kotoko."

This was a topic that had nothing to do with Sato, and yet it seemed like the perfect time to bring it up.

Sato found herself being left out of the loop again, but this time she was okay with that. She could feel the air shifting again, and she didn't think she wanted to be at the center of that.

"That is…." Mikan didn't know what to say. She knew how she felt about that situation, put simply that she didn't care. How could she explain that, though?

Hiyoko didn't seem to have such reservations as she simply met Naruto's frown with her own.

"That is a different situation, you idiot. The fact that you're trying to compare the two is making me sick. You did something to protect a person. It wasn't out of stupid reasons like the dumb girl sitting over there."

"Yes, this is highly unbecoming of you!" Sonia felt the need to speak up here, her voice firm as she locked Naruto in place with her glare. "It is because of your actions that Utsugi-san is now able to smile like the rest of us! The two situations are not comparable in the slightest."

Naruto had already known this, but it seemed like none of them were judging him for his actions.

But now they were judging him for comparing his actions with Sato's.

"It's definitely sort of scary, I guess," Kazuichi admitted, somewhat sheepishly. But then he shook his head. "I still get why you did it, so I'm not suspicious of you for it."

"It is true that the wheels of justice can be slow to turn," Sonia said, humming as she thought about the concept. Her anger towards Naruto subsided just a bit. "My kingdom operates somewhat differently, so it's not like I don't understand Naruto's decision."

"You are a princess, after all~" Ibuki said in a chirpy tone.

"I still don't think death is something that can be taken lightly, or done so quickly like that," Chiaki interjected with a small frown. "That's why I would have preferred if there had been more of a discussion about this."

Byakuya and Fuyuhiko still regretted nothing, and it showed. Naruto didn't regret anything either, but he was still questioning himself over his actions. It was a weird dichotomy for him that had persisted since his battle with Pain.

Regardless of her concerns, Chiaki was still able to offer her friends a genuine smile.

"That said, I do agree with Sonia-san's point. It's because of what happened that Utsugi-san has been saved. Perhaps I'm just not strong enough to be able to have that mindset."

Was it really about strength? That was another interesting perspective for Naruto to ponder. It reminded him of what he and Gundham had talked about this morning.

Hiyoko looked annoyed as she said, "Don't get carried away, guys. We still have this smelly bitch in the room with us. It's better if we don't give her any more chances to betray us. Her body odor is stinking the place, so can we move on already?"

Sato couldn't hide her grimace at Hiyoko's words. The blonde was not going to show any remorse towards her, that much was obvious.

Peko raised an eyebrow, looking curious. "But Saionji-san, you and Tsumiki-san are still refusing to accept Sato's apology."

"Of course I'm not going to accept it." Hiyoko looked angry just by the thought of it. "I've dealt with lying pieces of shit like her in the past. They just cozy up to you while having ulterior motives. Why would I want to let someone like her be a part of my life? I'm never going through that again."

Naruto had always known that there was a reason for Hiyoko's initial hostile attitude towards him and the others when they first met. Sure, she was still sadistic and insulted them from time to time, but they were clearly tongue in cheek now. It was similar to how Fuyuhiko had acted because of the meaning of his family name. It was a wall to shield herself against the world, against other people. Obviously that would only come about because people had betrayed her in the past. Naruto didn't think it was the smartest way to cope with something like that, but it wasn't like he had any room to talk. After all, he would know about putting on masks.

"There is nothing to be done about it." Mahiru was sad that Hiyoko wouldn't forgive Sato, but she also knew that she had no reason to force the issue. "If they can't forgive her, then that's that. Right, Naruto?"

The blond glanced at Mikan. This time, the Ultimate Nurse wasn't going to cave in to his desires, but he wasn't going to force the issue either. Words of forgiveness came easy. Love did not. Even if Hiyoko and Mikan said that they forgave Sato, it did not mean that they truly felt that way in their hearts. This was true for everyone else too. Only time would tell if something more could come from this.

Besides, it wasn't like Hiyoko and Mikan had to forgive Sato. To this day, Naruto hadn't forgiven Nagato for what he had done. It was just a matter of moving past it while acknowledging that those feelings were there and were probably always going to be.

Such was the complexity of human emotions.

"Have we reached a conclusion then?" Byakuya asked, wondering if this, whatever it was, had come to an end.

"Not yet."

There was still something Naruto needed to do.

Byakuya was bemused. "There's still something more?"

"I told you that there were three things that I wanted to say, right? The first was for Sato to understand that I truly admire Mahiru and her talent. The second was for Sato to realize that Mahiru is not just her talent. There is still one more thing that I need to say."

Talk about building up the suspense.

They were all curious of course, even Sato.

None of them expected Naruto to suddenly turn to the quiet Nagito and punch the luckster in the gut.

The Ultimate Lucky Student visibly winced as the punch knocked all the air out his lungs. He was already physically weak compared to someone like Akane, so he quickly collapsed to his knees as he fell into a coughing fit, trying to regain his bearings.

Naruto was slightly surprised. He had held himself back quite a bit, but perhaps Nagito was even weaker than he had thought.

Ibuki screamed as her eyes widened in shock, a reaction that was shared by the others.

"Oh my god! Naruto-chan punched Nagito-chan!"

"Thanks for stating the obvious!" Kazuichi said sarcastically.

As if they didn't all just see that!

Naruto was unapologetic as he stood over the coughing Nagito.

"I told you that I was going to punch you if you kept talking weird, didn't I?"

Naruto hadn't forgotten Nagito's involvement in all of this. Now that Sato's internal struggle had been settled, it was time for him to turn his attention to the other culprit in all of this.

"I-I do remember you mentioning that before," Nagito said through his coughs.

Naruto couldn't see the boy's face, but he could just feel Nagito's smile. Like he wasn't bothered by the punch at all.

Fuyuhiko picked up on this too, and he scowled.

"What the fuck, dude? How can you still be amused after getting punched?"

"I can't exactly condone violence like this," Mahiru said, frowning, "but I have to admit that I was thinking of doing something similar too."

"I don't understand," Mikan said, trying to work out why Naruto had punched Nagito out of nowhere.

Naruto was too busy staring Nagito down to address Mikan's question.

"So, your answer hasn't changed."

Nagito managed to get his coughs under control and picked himself up. His knees still felt weak, but it wasn't anything he couldn't power through.

"Why would my answer have changed, Uzumaki-kun? After everything you've shown me? I'm more convinced than ever now. The others have started to realize it too. You're the only one who's still struggling to comprehend the truth behind hope, behind your talent. Your true talent. I was hoping that seeing Sato-san's pathetic nature would have opened your eyes to the true condemnation of this world. Those without talent merely abuse those who have it. It was the same for Utsugi-san, was it not? You handled that situation perfectly, but you fell short here. I wonder why that is."

"What the hell, man!" Kazuichi was starting to get creeped out again. "What are you trying to say now!"

"Nothing, for now." Nagito still smiled despite the many frowns that were being sent his way. "I know when I am beaten. Despite my loss, I was able to make you all understand your situation a little bit more. About the hope I have in all of you."

"You haven't explained a single goddamn thing," Fuyuhiko retorted, not understanding what Nagito was getting at.

Nagito blinked before allowing himself to show his remorse as he stared down at his feet.

"Ah, so my actions are still unclear to you. How unfortunate. I thought I was being pretty clear."

"Regardless of how you may feel, I do not approve of this, Komaeda-san." Sonia wanted to add her own two cents to the boy. "Manipulating Sato-san in such a way…."

"I may have stoked her fears, but she's the one who jumped," Nagito replied as he crossed his arms. He briefly glanced at Sato. "She was more concerned with her own insecurities and was going to bring the rest of you down because of them. Something needed to be done."

"Should we tie this bastard up?" Kazuichi wondered.

Nekomaru flexed his arms. "Just say the word."

Nagito actually looked worried for a second. "There's no need to get so testy, you know."

Fuyuhiko growled. "You're starting to piss us off. What do you think we're going to do?"

"I say we tie him up!" Hiyoko was all on board with that idea.

"His words do cause some amount of concern," Gundham conceded.

Naruto quickly stepped in here. "Don't bother. It wouldn't change anything."

He already knew Nagito wasn't going to apologize to Sato either.

"So bold, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki wanted to laugh to try and bring some excitement to the situation, but even she knew this wasn't the time for it. "You're fine just letting him keep doing stuff like this?"

"You're being awfully lenient with him," Byakuya said, not entirely sure if he was onboard with this.

Chiaki wasn't too sure about that. "I'm sure you have your reasons, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto shrugged. It wasn't anything elaborate.

"I already promised him that I was going to make him change his opinion on talent. I'm not going back on my word just being he's being stubborn about it. Dragging other people into it, though…..I had to punch him for that."

"Is this what they call tough love!?" Ibuki wondered with a grin. "It's totally something you might see on a 'boy-meets-boy' manga! Ibuki is getting excited now!"

Okay, maybe Mikan liked the sound of that just a little.

"Hehe, I certainly wouldn't mind a piece of that action," Teruteru admitted.

Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "They can't take things serious for even a minute, can they?"

"It's better than letting things drag down too much," Peko conceded with a small smile.

"Ugh, if you say so."

Byakuya wasn't too sure, but he wasn't going to dwell on it.

And like that, their little meeting to determine Sato's fate came to a close.

It was not the climatic ending that some of them had been expecting, especially when considering how all of this had started with Sato trying to kill Naruto. Regardless, it was an ending that they could all agree on, some more easily than others.

It was not as if things had been settled for good. Naruto might have forgiven Sato, but Sato knew that others had not. Perhaps they never would, but this did not mean that she intended to squander this second chance that Naruto had offered her. Not to mention, that she hadn't forgiven Nagito either.

There was still animosity there, but at the very least a path to redemption had been forged. Now it was just a matter of personal choice...and time.

A lot of time.

Perhaps the true winner in all of this had been Naruto himself, as despite his misgivings with Nagito, he found himself more at ease than ever before. Unlike with the Akira case and Kotoko's mother, he had no regrets with the conclusion he and his friends had reached here. And yes, he still counted Nagito among them. As much as the others were annoyed with Nagito's actions too, they weren't going to cut the boy out. He was a troublemaker for sure. They knew that now. Unfortunately, he was still one of them.

And so, the curtain closed for the time being.

In the back of Naruto's mind, however, he was reminded of the fact that the Reserve Course was filled with people like Sato, Natsumi being a prime example. It was a pain brought about by a system that perpetuated a feeling of self loathing if you weren't classified as an Ultimate, a system that he was now a part of.

Naruto had to wonder once again. Could he save all of them?

Man, it's just so much fun to write these characters.

It's pretty obvious that so many problems in Danganronpa could have been solved if characters had communicated better with one another. That's why a character like Naruto is perfect for a setting like this.

The Sato drama has been concluded at last. You can probably tell already, but this is the arc to close old plot points before moving on to the next section of the story (which some of you have already somewhat guessed what it's going to be).

That's all from me.

Till next time.