This chapter is the end of the first story arc of the rewrite of my FanFiction, and it's where less and less of the original version will be used because of how many parts of the story I want to rework. With certain characters being where they are at this point in the story versus the original, the divergence is too large at this point.

Once I get to the last arc of the original version, that's where things will start to get back on track. The main reason for revising this portion of the story is to improve the overall story later. The next story arc will be an arc that did not exist in the original, and there will be a prequel story that will focus on Mercedes's time in Konoha.

Anyway, as before, this chapter was my favorite in the original, and I wanted to make my favorite chapter even better. Here's the new and improved version of the shy girl squad. For those who read the original, tell me what you think.


Chapter 9 Shy girl squad

Today was the day of the mock battle where the three houses would compete against each other and where the professors of the three houses would test each other's abilities. Rhea was going to observe the battle along with Jeralt Byleth's father. This would be a way for her to test Byleth's capabilities. This was more of a test for him than anything else. She was looking forward to the results regardless what happens. It would be a few hours before the test officially begin. This mock battle resembles the battle between the Eagle and the Lion which would not happen until Wyvern Moon or what outsiders the month of October. That was still a ways off she heard footsteps and it was none other than Seteth.

"Are all the preparations done?" Rhea asked him.

"Yes, although there were problems earlier in the Abyss."

Rhea turned around and looked at Seteth.

"What problems happened?"

There are outcasts living beneath the monastery. One in particular she had been kept there since birth.

"She wishes to go to the surface. We can't keep her there forever. Rhea, I mean. We are keeping a huge secret from Jeralt."She knew what he was referring to, and she dreaded the day when it would have to be revealed. It would be a tragedy. How would she reveal it without angering her old friend? Figuring that out wasn't easy.

"Sonia, that poor girl, has been under the Abyss her entire life. Don't you think it's cruel to keep her down there?"She almost twitched in anger at the mere mention of what she was doing.

"I keep her existence hidden so our enemies won't kidnap her and take her blood; aren't you doing the same thing for your child?" Rhea pointed out.

"The situations are hardly the same. Flayn and Sonia's situations couldn't be more different from each other." Seteth replied.

Siri was her daughter. it was painful sometimes looking at her because how much she looks like Sitri the woman that she gave birth to how much her granddaughter resembles her late daughter.

"I'm sorry Rhea I just feel like we should come clean, they already distrust us as it is"she knew he was referring to Byleth and Jeralt she knew she was playing with fire. If she did things wrong she could make powerful enemies. She was confident though that wouldn't happen due to their history.

"Has all the arrangements been made regarding Sasuke's training?" Seteth looked uncomfortable at the very mention of Sasuke she knew he knew he didn't trust him due to him being an Uchiha.

"All the preparations have been made after the mock battle his primary teacher will be Catherine. I still advise against this course of action. Sasuke, like most Uchiha's, is dangerous. They unleashed the nine-tailed fox on konoha 17 years ago. The Sharingan as a whole is dangerous and there's even talks about the clan being cursed with evil. It's no different than the enemies that nearly wiped out our people. Do we really chance training such a person?"she knew he had a point but she couldn't be deterred not if Sasuke is potentially someone that could be a powerful Ally to the church in the future.

"Sasuke is the only one of the transfers here who sees the value of what we do here. His time in the Blue Lions has changed him in ways he doesn't know yet. Yes, the Sharingan is potentially dangerous, but would you rather have it in the hands of our potential enemies?" Seteth had no rebuke; he had none.

"I understand where you're coming from, but you think his feelings for Mercedes are going to make him a Knight of the Church? Have you forgotten that his primary goal is to kill Itachi Uchiha, the man who murdered his family and clan?" She knew the risk, but she felt like it would pay off. Sasuke's path to vengeance wasn't that much different from Dimitri's.

"I've made my decision; I'm not going to argue this any further. Unless you have something else to report, you are dismissed." Seteth bowed respectfully to Rhea and left her alone. It wouldn't be long now before the battle began in this field. She was looking forward to the outcome and seeing what her grandson is capable of.


With the Golden Deer

Naruto was beyond excited. This was his chance to test all of his training that he had received in the past three months. He felt like he had gotten stronger and his chakra control had improved with help from his classmates. The first person to arrive was Raphael, and Choji.

"Naruto, you got here first. I was hoping we would get a chance to talk before the mock battle." said Raphael, the friend he had made when he first came to the monastery. Naruto really liked him; he usually sparred with him along with his friend from Konoha, Choji. They really clicked together.

"I can't wait to wipe the floor with those arrogant Blue Lions and Black Eagles!" remarked Choji.

"I can't wait to test my muscles against Hinata! I've heard she's quite strong!" remarked Raphael. "Oh, she is! I don't think you could win, though; she's pretty awesome!" Naruto said, trying to hide his blushing of how awesome he thinks his girlfriend is.

"That's one thing I've been meaning to ask, Naruto. If I could be blunt, why not tell Hinata your feelings? You talk about her a lot." That was a good question. Raphael was very observant and was able to see things people downplay his intelligence because he's not very good academically, but there are other things he has that people seem to overlook.

"I have something special planned tonight for me and Hinata-chan, regardless of whether we win or lose," Naruto said with his boyish grin.

"I don't need to hear any further details; I think I got the idea," Leonie said, knowing what he was implying.

"You know what? Something is bothering me; where are Marianne and Hilda?" asked Naruto, finding it strange that Hilda and her sky-blue-haired friend weren't here by now. Even though Marianne barely spoke, she was never late, and Hilda especially wasn't late either; something was off.

"They're not coming. They've transferred yesterday," said Ino, who had just arrived with Claude by her side. They could not make it more obvious if they tried, Naruto thought in his head.

"'Well, out of all the things to happen, I never expected both Hilda and Marianne to transfer. Well, it hardly makes a difference; we'll deal with them all the same in the mock battle,' said Lysithea, who was eager to test her skills.

"I'm not going to lie; it feels wrong not having Hilda here," said Ino, looking sad at the friend that she had hung out with on a near-daily basis since she transferred. Naruto didn't think it was a big deal; they can still do it after class.

"I wonder how strong Sasuke has become in the past five years," said Gaara, who had an excited look to test his skills against Sasuke.

"I'm looking forward to finally having my showdown with Neji," said Lee excitedly as he was practicing his moves.

"I will not hold back, even against Hinata-chan," said Naruto as he did his exercises. Even though he didn't want to hurt his girlfriend, she would not forgive him if he didn't go all out against her; it would be a sign of disrespect and lack of faith in her abilities if he didn't give it his all against her. He was eager to test his skills against her; he had not sparred in a serious way with his girlfriend in almost a year and was eager to see how much stronger she had become.

"This whole thing is a drag; I just want to get it over with," said Shikamaru. "It seems like almost everyone was present, but there were a few more people who haven't shown up yet."

"I hope I'm not dragging everyone down,"said Ignatz."Don't worry you're not dragging anyone down, Ignatz" Raphael said to his friend.

"I'm looking forward to showing the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions to fear the deer."Lorenz clearly tries to make himself sound more important than he actually is.

Naruto didn't like him, no matter how much time had passed."You better not slow us down, Naruto."Said Lorenz in that same condescending tone he had used with him from the start of their time in the Golden Deer.

"The only thing you should be concerned with is slowing us down and holding your own weight, because as far as I'm concerned in training sessions, you've always performed worse than anyone else."Naruto said, not caring if he angered the noble boy.

"You ignorant ruffian, last time I checked, you had the worst grades from your class that you came from. Where you are from, you are dead last."Those were fighting words to Naruto. He got up to his full height and stared at him in the face.

"Yeah, I may be dead last where I'm from, but that's just what's going to make my achievement even more impressive in the future, and not to mention, I have learned a complicated jutsu that most people in my peer group who did far better than me academically couldn't ever do. Grades are overrated; they mean nothing in the real world. It only matters to people who have never experienced hardship, real hardship. Maybe you should talk to commoners instead of looking down on us like we're stupid and incapable of doing things for ourselves. We don't need you; we never have."Everyone was shocked by Naruto's rebuke, but Naruto spoke the truth as far as he saw it.

"Well, someone had to say it," said Kakashi. "You're really going to allow him to talk to me like that?" Lorenz said irritated at his professor who agreed with Naruto.

"In this class, you are all students; nothing more. It doesn't matter where you're from, and I don't care if you don't like how I teach. You can always transfer." Kakashi said irritated with the arrogant noble.

"Man, you have a way to piss people off, Lorenz. You could lay off a little bit as far as I'm concerned." said Claude, having enough of Lorenz disrespect towards Naruto.

"You're not helping matters, Claude." Lorenz, who was angry Claude was taking sides with Naruto.

"I'm sorry, but you're kind of a jackass. I don't care what your problem with me is, but I'm not going to let you talk to my friend Naruto like that. He's one of the hardest workers in our class, and I won't let you disrespect him."Naruto appreciated Claude defending him, then he heard a voice in his head.

"I'm not going to lie, I really like this human. Claude is probably one of the few humans I don't want to wipe off the face of the Earth."Naruto looked around wondering who was talking.

"Have you seriously forgotten already?"Kyubi said, annoyed that Naruto had forgotten about him when they were just starting to connect, which had only happened a few days ago.

"Why now do you speak to me? It's been days!"Naruto asked him.

"We literally started connecting, and it's going to take some time. I will fulfill my promise to you when the appropriate time comes because right now I'm too close to Sothis, who would be able to hear us if we were in close contact. I'd rather us have privacy."He explained to Naruto as if he were explaining something obvious.

"Who is this Sothis anyway? I keep hearing about her like she's some sort of goddess. Does she exist, is she real?" Kyubi laughed as if he had said something stupid.

"Of course she's real; you fool! How many times have I told you? There's also another presence that concerns me, which I will discuss later when that purple-haired girl isn't near us." Was he referring to Shez? As if he could read his thoughts, he cut his connection. Naruto looked and saw Shez, who had joined the Golden Deer Class the previous day.

"It's about time you showed up. The main event is about to start. Claude was excited about the prospect of the Golden Deer defeating the other two houses."

"I don't care about anyone in the battle. The only person I'm interested in fighting is the Ashen Demon. He's mine; he's the only opponent I'm interested in. I couldn't care less about the others."Shez was going to be a problem, Naruto thought.

"This whole battle is a team effort. If you focus on one person, you're going to bring us all down."

Naruto pointed out. She shook her head.

"I know but I'm only here to primarily defeat him. Nothing more."What is it about Byleth that she hates so much? What Naruto saw in her eyes was killing intent. He would have to keep an eye on her.

"Everyone listen up, every one in the Blue Lions and Black Eagles is strong in one way or another. Do not underestimate your enemies; those who are unwilling to work together will be forced to sit this one out."Kakashi looks straight at Shez, who was clearly angered at being singled out.

She bit her tongue knowing better than to anger Kakashi.

"Everyone got in formation, except two of the Golden Deer. Naruto wondered if this was a wise course of action. They'd be two people short, since Marianne and Hilda were with the Black Eagles. The professor of the Black Eagles would be there.

"We will win because we will make everyone fear the Golden Deer. It's time for us to prove that we're not as weak as everyone thinks we are" said Claude. Everyone cheered, including the lazy and bored Shikamaru.

"Are you looking forward to pulling the prank that we've been planning?"Claude asked Naruto with a devious smile.

"Oh, of course, it's going to be amazing. Though, I'm not doing it to Hinata Chan, Dorothea Chan or Ingrid Chan. I draw the line there."Claude smiled as if he knew something.

"I find it interesting; despite having a girlfriend, you have an interest in two other women. This could be trouble if Hinata were to find out. You don't have me fooled; I know you have two other women who are into you," Claude said dryly. Naruto turned away, blushing, considering how spot-on he was.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Naruto said denying what Claude was saying.

"Are you really that blind that you cannot see that Dorothea and Ingrid are interested in you? You hang out with them a lot. Hell, your girlfriend hangs out with them a lot. Some people have been saying that you have a harem with the three of them. Is there any truth to those rumors?" asked Claude jokingly. He heard whispers, but he ignored them, and so did Hinata, because rumors were never something to take seriously. However, it was more difficult considering people thought Naruto was sleeping around, and it pissed him off because he would never do that.

"Ingrid-chan and Dorothea-chan are my friends! Who the hell is spreading these rumors?" Naruto asked, looking at the class. Claude laughed as if he thought it was funny.

"Naruto, no offense, but you're really blind. How can you not see the social cues from Dorothea and Ingrid? They're obviously interested in you! You could consider polygamy; it would be the best of both worlds. They get to be happy, you and your girlfriend get to be happy, and the rumors would stop because they'd be proven true," said Claude with the same knowing smile, as if he understood something Naruto did not.

"Are you insane? Even if I were to consider such an option, would they? I'm not going to ruin my relationship with Hinata-chan or my friendships with Ingrid-chan and Dorothea-chan to pursue a four-way relationship," Naruto replied, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt. He would be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for Dorothea and Ingrid, but he couldn't admit that out loud.

"Think about it, Naruto. You would make them happy. Sooner or later, you're going to have to discuss it. I'll leave it be for now, though, because we have a mock battle to prepare for," Claude said, ending the conversation.

He heard another voice laugh in amusement.

"Wow, three potential mates! Well, there's no law to say you can't have more than one, Hinata would make an excellent mate, along with that Ingrid girl and Dorothea. I must say, as dumb as you are, you have good taste in women."Kyubi said in an amused tone.

"Not you too. Seriously, I'm not going to ruin my relationships by being greedy," Naruto said, not wanting to discuss the topic further.

"Regardless, kit, you're going to have to eventually discuss this with them. Regardless of how you feel about it or even how Hinata feels about it, it's not fair for the other two women who have feelings for you not to at least get them out in the open. The sooner you resolve this with them, the better," Kyubi said, as if he had witnessed this happen multiple times before.

Naruto did not even want to think about it. His primary objective was to help his class win the mock battle and to confess to Hinata; that was his goal for today. He put his thoughts about Dorothea and Ingrid aside for the time being—he wanted no distractions.


With the Blue Lions

Dimitri was the first to show up in his class. He knew the rest of the Blue Lions would come soon. The mock battle would be a good way for him to find out how far he had come in the past few months. He was excited at the very prospect of testing the results of his training. Most of all, he wondered how far his friend from Konoha, Hinata Hyuga, had come since they met again after seven years. He hadn't had many opportunities to talk to her one-on-one. Though he did see a lot of people give her flowers among other gifts, she was quite popular with the male population much to Naruto's annoyance.

Sasuke Uchiha was the last person he expected to be able to bond with from Konoha in some ways he feels like he can understand Sasuke better than others due to their shared experiences. He understands Sasuke better than Sasuke even knows both of them survivors guilt Dimitri he thinks about the tragedy. His friend Glenn and his father along with everyone else dying on what is called the tragedy of Duscur. He thinks about all the people that have died. Sometimes he wishes he would have died that day.

"You should have died, you are right, you wretch" he heard the ghostly voice of his father. Before he can rebuke the voice Sasuke arrived along with Felix, Annette, and Mercedes he was relieved that they arrived when they did he didn't particularly feel comfortable being alone especially hearing the voices of the dead.

"Today's the day I can finally show the results of my training," said Sasuke excitedly at the prospect of testing his skills against others.

"Don't forget that I helped you with your training too, Sasuke." said Felix.

"Yeah, you did help, but you barely kept up with me." Dimitri knew where this was going; this friendly banter between Sasuke and Felix was something that nobody saw coming.

"I can't wait to show what the Blue Lions are made of," said Annette excitedly about the upcoming battle.

"I don't know if I'm excited, but as long as I'm with my friends, this should be an enjoyable experience." said Mercedes, who had her eyes on Sasuke which he was oblivious of it could not have made it more obvious.

Dimitri couldn't help but pick up on Sasuke and Mercedes since they're reunion 3 months ago they have been showing the same signs Felix and Annette did when Felix discovered an embarrassing secret about Annette he knew where this was going he decided to let time take its course.

"I hope the dope doesn't lose too easily, that would be a disappointment,"said Sasuke referring to Naruto.

"I have full confidence you will win, but don't underestimate Naruto," said Mercedes, as if she knew from experience of watching them sparring.

"I have no intention to," Sasuke replied.

"Just a curious question: why do you call Naruto 'dope?'" she asked, always perplexed by their dynamic. Mercedes obviously already knew this, so she said nothing. Considering what little Dimitri managed to learn, she had witnessed their sparring matches multiple times in the year that she stayed in Konoha; it was nothing new to her.

"It's just a thing that we do. Naruto calls me tame."Dimitri had no idea what that meant, so he figured he would ask.

"What does that mean?"Dimitri asked, not being familiar with the language from the land where Sasuke is from.

"It means 'bastard'."Sasuke explained.

"Oh, that's an interesting thing to call you, but you're friends, right?"Dimitri asked him.

"I guess you could say that, then again, I guess Naruto would be the closest thing I'd call a brother, at least that's what he'd think from his point of view."Sasuke answered.

"Why would Naruto think that?" Ingrid asked, who had just arrived. Dimitri noticed something was off but decided to say nothing.

"Because he's an orphan like I am."Sasuke answered

This surprised Dimitri; it all made sense, but there was something more that Sasuke wasn't willing to talk about. Maybe in time he would be open about it.

"Are you all right Ingrid?"asked Mercedes concerned.

"I'm fine I'm just anxious for the upcoming battle that's ahead of us."Ingrid was obviously lying something was bothering her Dimitri did not know how to approach her about this.

"Are you sure that's the reason you look like you did not sleep well the previous night."asked Sylvain concerned.

"It's about Naruto, isn't it? You know, you could just simply ask them to be part of their relationship," Sylvain said. It was no secret that Ingrid had a crush on him. Dimitri had a feeling it was something more than that, but he decided not to say anything.

"Don't say something so stupid," Ingrid said irritated with Sylvain.

"I mean, come on; it's not like it's going to harm anyone. I mean, if it's consensual."Sylvain said jokingly.

Felix hit him. "No offense, but you need to shut up." Everyone laughed.

"It was just a joke; why so serious?" He said, Faking injury.

"If Naruto San even considers such an option without informing Hinata Sama I will castrate him."said Neji and in a threatening tone he wasn't joking Dimitri knew he would carry out his threat.Tenten was excited about the prospect of testing her skills and the upcoming battle.

"I can't wait to test my jitsu against Byleth Eisner I've heard such amazing things about him I can't wait to test what I'm capable of against him." Tenten said excitedly.

"Interesting conversation we're having here, your highness", said Dedue said as he arrived with Ashe who looked as excited as the rest of the class to test their skills against the Black Eagles and gold and deer.

"You're here just in time, Dedue San", Sasuke said respectfully.

"We just have one more person before we're already I can't wait to kick some ass." Said Sylvain.

Dimitri was about to ask about Sai before he appeared, reading everyone with a polite smile but saying nothing.

"Speaking of which, where is Shion ?" Asked Ashe wondering where pale skin the blonde haired woman was?

He was about to ask the question again when she appeared before the group. It's still unnerved Dimitri just how much like Hinata Shion looks. She's almost a mirror image of her. If it weren't for her blonde hair and eyes, she could pass for being Hinata's twin.

"I'm sorry for being late. I was exhausted from yesterday," Shion said apologetically to the group.

"It's not a problem. That ability of yours drains you, doesn't it?" asked Dedue.

"I can't control when my ability to glimpse into the future happens. Every time it does, I feel exhausted." Dimitri was not aware of such an ability existing.

"Wait, you mean you could read into people's futures?" asked Annette.

"No, my powers could read into possible futures. My powers could be dangerous to myself if I get too obsessed with looking into the future. My abilities don't trigger as much as they used to ever since Naruto helped me on one of his missions. They don't activate often unless something major is going to happen." Everyone looked at her, surprised that someone could look into the future, no, possible futures. Dimitri had to correct himself.

"Today, for example, whoever wins this mock battle could have their fates altered from this day onwards." Dimitri didn't know if he liked this at all.

"Did you glimpse into this future?" asked Sylvain.

"Like I said, there are many variables that could happen. Asking me who's going to win this battle is pointless because anything could happen." Shion didn't feel comfortable talking about her abilities to read into the future.

"We won't ask. I prefer to see a smile on your face," said Sylvain, much to the annoyance of Ingrid.


"Of all the never mind, let's just focus on the battle." said Ingrid. She couldn't afford to get distracted. Regardless of what her feelings were, she'd have to bury them for now. When she looks at Shion, she can't help but be bitter and angry with her for revealing what she did yesterday, giving her hope of a future that was not possible.

She looked at her weapon that she'd be using for the battle today. She would test everything that she had learned since January, every sparring session she had with Naruto, Hinata, and childhood friends. She looks at Felix, Sylvain, and Dimitri. She was not going to lose. If she can't protect herself, then she can't protect those she cares about. It's as simple as that.

She readyed herself for the mock battle, not realizing how this day would change her life.


Mercedes was getting ready. Despite how she is as a person, she was going to win. She did not want to let her classmates down. Sasuke was doing a warm-up one last time before the beginning of the mock battle. She couldn't help but think about the match that she watched together with Hinata 5 years ago during the final match in the Chunin exams when Naruto and Sasuke faced each other. She was worried sick about him during that battle because of how dangerous it potentially was. Luckily, the mock battle was nothing like that. She was grateful.

"Are you okay, Mercie?" asked Sasuke in his language.

"I'm just thinking about how I'm glad this isn't like the Chunin exams. I don't have to worry about you getting hurt or worse," Mercedes said, not realizing where her hands were near her heart. Why was it there of all places? She stopped. No, stop it, she thought. She's a grown woman. She's too old to have a crush. And besides, Sasuke is like a little brother. She can't show interest in him in that way. She was overthinking it, she told herself.

"You worry too much. This is just like a sparring match. None of us are in danger of dying," Sasuke said.

"Someone has to worry. That sensei of yours certainly didn't care," Mercedes said with bitterness, thinking about how Kakashi was treating Naruto and Sasuke, potentially killing each other during the final match of the Chunin exams. She had witnessed horrors that she wished she would have never experienced. Children killing children just to get promoted to a higher rank. How her friend Hinata had almost been killed. It had colored the way she looked at Konoha and the system. She hated it and never wanted anything to do with it.

"It's how things have always been in my village, and that will not change," Sasuke said, not facing her.

"It doesn't have to be that way. I'm sorry, I should be focusing on the battle," Mercedes said. Before she could finish, Sasuke made her face him.

"You are a gentle soul, Mercie. You despise violence. I understand why you feel the way you do. Don't apologize for being who you are," Sasuke said. She was touched by this, but the way he said it, he was different. It was difficult for her to see him as a boy; he wasn't. She knew that, but she felt her cheeks turning pink. Why was she looking at him as a man? What's wrong with her? No, no, no. She buried that thought deep into her mind. She should focus on the battle. She's probably worried about the outcome. It would fade with time, hopefully.

"We will win, Mercie. Together, you and I will lead our class to victory," Sasuke said with a cocky smile. She couldn't say no to that.

"Yes, we will, Sasuke-kun. The Blue Raven team will lead us to victory," Mercedes said. But then, she realized they didn't have another member in Konoha. There were three-man cells before she could indulge in her thoughts, Neji appeared.

"The Blue Raven squad. I like it. Mind if I join you?" Neji asked.

"Interesting. Prodigies of 1174 and 75 on the same squad with Mercie. If she's okay with that, then I am too," Sasuke said with a smile of approval.

"The Blue Raven squad. It's an amazing name. Yes, the three of us together can definitely win," Sasuke was excited at the prospect of the three of them being the cause of the victory for the Blue Lions.

"The Blue Raven squad. That's quite a name. We will be counting on you," Sylvain said.

"That's so cool. I want to kick myself for not thinking of a name like that," Annette said.

"The Blue Raven squad. That reminds me of the squad name that completely humiliated the Black Eagles in the year 1155 when Hitomi Hyuga and my father completely humiliated the current emperor of the empire," Dimitri said, happy with the name. Her mother told her a lot about the Blue Raven squad, the name that Hitomi came up with to lead her class to victory. In a way, Mercedes wanted to honor her mother's best friend by using the name.

"All right, Blue Lions, let's get into formation. We will win this battle, and we will show everyone why the Blue Lions is the strongest house," Dimitri said as he held his lance in the air. Her entire class cheered. She was happy. No matter the outcome, she was happy to build a house with this opportunity with her friends. But she knows Hinata. There's a high likelihood she will have to face her. Despite their friendship, she was going to win. Nothing mattered today—victory or defeat. She was happy to be part of her class.


With the Black Eagles

Marianne was nervous because she was new; she had just transferred and they were already doing a mock battle; she wasn't sure if she would slow down her new classmates. She was there before everyone else, so she had a lot on her mind. What if she was the reason they lost? She didn't want to be a burden on anyone. She was wondering what Dote would say, what kind of advice he would give her in this situation. She didn't get a chance to indulge in her thoughts for long when she turned around and saw Byleth; they were alone. She felt her heart beating. She didn't know what to say.

Despite being alone, they wouldn't be for long. Even if they could be lovers in private in this room, they were student and teacher. She had to keep her feelings under control. She was wondering where Hilda was. She did transfer; she knows she did. Before she can indulge in her thoughts, Hilda appeared. She smiled at Marianne reassuringly. She felt more at ease, but not by much, because how much was riding on this mock battle. Byleth just became the professor. His reputation could be tarnished if things go badly. She doesn't want to be the reason why things go badly for him. She had to say something.

"Good morning, both of you. It's good that you are here first so we can discuss our plans for the mock battle." Byleth said, acting the part of a teacher instead of her secret lover.

"I am curious. What is my part into this battle, and Marianne's?" Hilda asked, curious.

"Your role will be to protect Marianne in the mock battle. She will be an essential part of my strategy." Byleth said, which caused them both to look at him in surprise, especially Marianne.

"I don't know, what if I slow everyone down? What if I'm the reason everyone loses? Maybe I should be put on the bench." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not doing that. I've studied what you can do in the dossier. You're far stronger than you know. You will be needed in this upcoming battle." She thought it was too good to be true.

"How can I be needed? You have Hubert as your mage, you even have Dorothea. What can I do that's special?" She asked him.

"How many of the people in the Black Eagles are capable of using ice or even water as part of their magic spell pool? You're the only one here who can. Your powers are essential to our victory. You are strong, Mari. I know you are." She wasn't used to getting this much praise. She hasn't even fought yet. The idea of using her power scared her.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," she said, her voice trembling.

"You won't hurt anyone because I'll be here; have faith in yourself."Byleth said supportively.

Again, his encouragement was something she wasn't used to.

"He's right, Marianne. You won't hurt anyone. I'll be here for you. The professor believes in you, and so do I. We support you." Hilda said as she held Marianne's hands.

"You bring misfortune to everyone around you; you should have never been born." The memory of one of her uncles saying that she was just a curse. But then there was Byleth and Hilda who believed the opposite. She felt strong when she was around them. This feeling she didn't want to wake up and find out it was all a dream.

"I'll try Byl" she said, forcing the words out. She heard other footsteps and saw Edelgard and Hinata who are happy to see her and shocked to see Hilda.

"You transferred welcome to our class Marianne." Edelgard said warmly.

Then she turned to see that Hilda Edelgard had a neutral expression. She heard about their history together; their affair was passionate, but it ended badly. Marianne did not know why and did not bother asking, as she didn't want to overstep.

"She will participate in the battle I know it's under a short notice but, I believe in her skills." The way he said it was with confidence; there was no hesitation.

"Before I came to the classroom I studied her dossier of all of her abilities. I think she is fully capable of helping us in this battle in fact. I believe with her help it will make our victory Swifter." Edelgard said with the same confidence that Byleth had.

He had full faith in her and her abilities as as well. She was terrified of letting him down. The house leader is also expecting a lot from her. She saw Hinata who smiled at her warmly.

"We can do this, Marianne Chan. I have full faith in us." She was being called an affectionate honorific. It was more than she felt like she deserved, but she saw Dorothea and Bernadetta approach their group.

"It's nice to have you in our class, Marianne", Bernadetta said, glad to have someone else who is a lot like her in the class.

When she looked around, she realized that Hinata and Bernadetta are all shy, yet they are all in the same class. The same team.

"Oh my dear Marianne, I'm so happy that you're in our class. You'll definitely make our professor happy. I could tell you that much."Dorothea said with a smile, which Marianne didn't understand. What did she mean by that? She thought it was ridiculous, but she felt her cheeks turn red when she even thought about it. She thought about them being under the sunset, him taking her out on dates, and a dance, and riding off into the sunset. Then she dismissed such fantasies because it wasn't the time or place considering where she was.

"So what are we going to do?" Dorothea asked Hinata.

"I know one thing for sure: I'm not losing to anyone, not even Naruto-kun." Hinata said determined to win.

"I'm not going to lose even to my former classmates. I could tell you that much. I'm giving it my all," said Hilda, smiling at her new classmates.

"I don't know why you're here, Hilda-san, but I'm glad you're here," Hinata said, happy with Hilda being present.

"No, I am curious. Why are you here and not with Claude?" Dorothea asked, curious as to why she was in their class.

"I wanted to change things up, besides," she looked at Marianne with a reassuring smile, indicating that everything would be fine.

"I didn't want to be separated from my best friend. I had to transfer," Hilda said. Hinata and Dorothea didn't buy it but decided not to press the issue.

"I must say: having more Nobles in our house will definitely increase our reputation." Said Ferdinand. Something about him seems endearing. If she were into that kind of man, she looked at Byleth there was no other man but him, no matter how many years that has not changed. He was the only man that would ever be in her heart. There could never be others.

"I can't wait to test the results of my training," said Caspar, clearly excited by the results of testing his training.

"I can't wait to prove that I'm no longer week and useless." Said Sakura as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather nap," Linhardt said, bored and not really excited about the upcoming battle.

"We should not hold back on any of our enemies and I'm disappointed in you, Linhardt. Clearly, you could be a huge help." Shino criticized his laziness.She only saw him once, as Hinata told her. Shino is the kind of person who doesn't hold back in fights. He's stoic and analyzes every situation. She knows she shouldn't feel the way she does, but she feels creeped out by him.

"Man, you're freaking our new classmate out. Knock it off, Shino!"Kiba said, irritated by the way he was talking and presenting himself.

"I'm acting like I always do, and I think you're just speaking for things you don't know about."He said he didn't like the way Kiba was speaking for her.

"Well, you're still freaking her out."He said something that was true to a degree.

"She should speak for herself." he said. She felt like everyone was looking at her.

Hilda was about to step in but was stopped by Hinata.

"Kiba, stop it! You too, Shino." Hinata said, scolding both of them. They dispersed and went to their usual spots.

"I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble." Marianne said apologetically.

"You're not causing any trouble, Marianne-chan. You've done nothing wrong." She didn't know what she did to get someone like Hinata to stand up for her like that. She felt like she was too good for her to have a friend like her.

"We're going to win the mock battle. I'm not going to let anyone stand in our way, not even Naruto Kun. Will you help me?" she asked. She was essential to their victory. Could she really think of such a ridiculous thing?

She ignored the past memories others had said, taking Hinata's hand and standing by Dorothea, Hilda and Bernadetta.

"You know what I think would be cool if the shy girl squad being single-handedly responsible for the victory of the Black Eagles."said Dorothea with a smile that even Hilda couldn't resist joining in Marianne couldn't believe that one of her classmates had said something so ridiculous.

"The shy what?" Benedetta said, embarrassed.

"Oh, that's a horrible name!" Hinata said agreeing with Benedetta

"No one's going to take us seriously with a name like that." Benedetta wanted to bury her face into the nearest hole because of how embarrassing the name sounds.

"Oh come on it's so cute three cute shy girls single-handedly winning the mock battle it would be legendary if it happened not to mention it would be embarrassing to the people that would lose to a squad of such a name." Dorothea said with her mischievous smile.

"Dorothea san it's so embarrassing." Hinata said not wanting anyone to see how red her face was Marianne couldn't blame her.

"The shy girl squad is such an adorable name. Those who would lose with such a name would never live it down," said Hilda, smiling with approval of the name, much to the embarrassment of Marianne, Bernadetta, and Hinata.

Then she heard Edelgard chime in. "I like the sound of it; let's make it happen. Let's make the Golden Deer and Blue Lions be embarrassed that they lost with a name like the shy girl squad." Edelgard said with a smile.

She was also involved; she gave up because she didn't care to fight anymore if they wanted the shy girl squad to be responsible for their victory or defeat. She no longer cared.

"Listen up, Black Eagles! This is my debut as your professor. Your performance will reflect on all of you and on me. I am determined to win, to prove that I deserve to be your professor. That I deserve to teach you. I have no experience in teaching, but I have experience in tactics. I have experience in battle. All of you will be essential to victory. I cannot afford for anyone to lose their nerve. To do so would be disastrous. Think of this as a simulation of what a real battle would be like. I have studied the abilities of everyone and I have specially studied the abilities of the two professors: Kakashi Hatake from Konohagakure, whose reputation as the Copy Ninja is not exaggerated. None of you are to engage with him under any circumstances. None of you are even close to his level. Only I can take him on." Byleth was looking at everyone.

"Anybody have any questions before we leave?"He looked at all the students. He barely had time to teach anyone, so he only taught Marianne a little bit. They looked at him with no questions; they didn't hesitate except for Marianne, who still had doubts.

"Okay, everyone's dismissed." Everyone left the room except for Marianne.


"Are you sure you want me to participate? I could be the reason you lose." Marianne said he knew her confidence was the biggest obstacle she needed to overcome. He had faith that she would overcome it.

"I have faith in you, and I meant when I said, and I don't intend to change my mind; I believe you are the key to our victory. I wouldn't put you out there if I didn't believe in you."Marianne looked down, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself. She knew this would take a lot of work, but he felt fully confident that he could help her overcome her insecurities.

"I just don't want to bring everyone down," she said, sounding more confident than before.

"You won't, I fully believe in you. Do you trust me?"Byleth saw something change in Marianne's eyes.

"Thank you, Byl," she said, blushing slightly.

"Then trust my judgment, and if we end up losing today, it will not be your fault but mine. No matter what happens, remember that I believe in you."Nothing more was said as she walked out of the room; then he heard a voice laughing.

"Very smooth if she isn't in love with you now she will be when this day is over."Sothis joked

"Don't joke about something like that." Byleth said, annoyed that she would make such a light joke out of something so serious.

"Seriously, relax. I know how strong your feelings are for the girl, after all, but be careful. You aren't the only one who has strong feelings for her." Sothis said with a serious tone.

"I'd rather focus on the battle that's coming. I can't afford any distractions." Byleth replied.

"You're right. Focus on the battle. It would be quite embarrassing if you lose the mock battle on your second day as the professor." Sothis said jokingly. He was not going to lose. He was going to more than prove that he was qualified for the position.

Little did he know that he would gain two new students in the upcoming battle.


Hilda had to put her differences aside for Marianne's sake, even if her feelings towards Edelgard are bitter. She can't let that blind her to the reason why she's in the Black Eagles class.

"I hope whatever happened between us doesn't get in the way of the upcoming battle," said Edelgard. Hilda did not want to face her ex-girlfriend. The last thing she wanted to deal with was her.

"I know what's at stake. I'm here for Marianne's sake. I will do what's required. I will put aside what I feel towards you for today, but I make it no secret that I'm still hurt about what you said to me two years ago," said Hilda as she took out her weapon of choice.

"It was nothing personal, Hilda. You know that," Edelgard said.

"That's the problem with you, Edelgard. I'm not sure what you're thinking, and what you think of the people around you. Are we just tools that you'll toss aside when we no longer have a use? Do friends actually exist in your mind, or is your ambition the only thing that's important?" Hilda did not want to face her, but she wasn't going to sugarcoat how she felt either.

"That is not fair, Hilda. You know exactly why I couldn't disclose anything," said Edelgard.

"Will you do the same to Hinata, your childhood friend, as well?" Hilda turned around, wanting to look Edelgard in the eye, wanting to know what she was thinking. As she heard her reaction regarding her childhood friend, Hilda didn't know too much detail about Hinata's relationship with Edelgard, but she did know one thing for sure: they were like sisters. Would she see someone like a sister in the same light that she saw Hilda? That was one thing she wanted to know.

"My relationship with her is none of your business," Edelgard said with clenched teeth, obviously hitting a sore spot.

"Forget about this for now. I want to focus on the mock battle. I'll put aside my differences with you, but I want to make it known that I'm here for her, not you," Hilda said as she left Edelgard alone. Just being around her brought out a bitterness that she thought she put behind her. When she saw Marianne, who was with her team discussing plans for the battle, she felt almost instantly at peace, just being around her.

She would help her class win, even if she's here only for Marianne.


Jeralt saw the houses assemble in the respective spots. He saw his son, who was giving one last encouragement to his class. The father in him was proud; he had a strong feeling his son would win. He trained him well; he observed his son from a distance, talking about strategy on what each individual would do. He was even using things that Kakashi from Konoha was using. He thought it was interesting, so he split his class into teams.

"You think he's going to win?" Rhea asked him.

"Oh, I have full confidence he's going to win. I've trained him myself on strategy and and tactics. I feel sorry for those my son is up against It's' almost not fair.. he chuckled."

"Well, those who lose will learn why they've lost. Your son is very adaptable; I mean, being able to read the different kinds of tactics those in the Five Nations use, where those foreign students are from, that's impressive."

He taught his son multiple languages, including the one on the continent, but that was a lifetime ago. Friends that are no longer here. He thinks about Kushina and Minato, the friends that he once had. He looks at the blonde-haired boy, Naruto Uzumaki, who's talking to Claude about their strategy with Kakashi Hatake. It was difficult to believe that the boy he met almost two decades ago was in his 30s.

He saw Sasuke one of the transfer students in konoha who is in the blue lions, discuss strategy with his classmates. When he was on a top-secret mission, he met his parents. The Sharingan he saw firsthand was powerful. It was terrifying; he wouldn't want to be an enemy of someone like that. Then he noticed something interesting: a girl who encouraged the boy out of all the other women in the academy. It's Mercedes, who keeps the darkness at bay she's someone special.

It was almost time for the battle to start. It would be a tough battle, but he was sure his son would come out on top.

"It's time for the mock battle to begin. The first team to take out the leaders wins." He took his hand in the air and made a downward motion, signaling the start of a tradition that mimics the eagle and the lion.


Hito knows she shouldn't be doing this. She should not be outside of the abyss. She's drawing too much attention, but she can't help it. Her longing to see her children, even from afar, is overwhelming. During the mock battle, she looked at all of the students from all the classes, including the Black Eagles. She saw Hinata, who was talking with her team about a strategy, accompanied by two girls that resembled one of her departed friends. The other was a friend she hadn't seen in nearly 20 years. For what she knows of her contacts within the empire, Amelia Bernadette's mother was still alive, though nobody knew that Hito was alive. She looked and saw others, like Mercedes, who was discussing plans with Sasuke. More children of departed friends, and one of whom is her best friend, who doesn't know that she's alive.

Then, against all judgment, she activated her abilities of her eyes and saw the blonde-haired man that Sonia met the other day. She stopped as soon as she saw him; tears fell. She almost collapsed on her knees. He looked exactly like her departed lover, the man that she was forced to leave behind. It was almost too much for her to bear. It was torture being so close yet so far. Both of her children were within the same vicinity, yet she couldn't see them. Neither one of them knew she was alive. One of them doesn't even know that she's his mother, and the other thinks she is dead.

It was torture, but she was willing to deal with it in order to do what any other mother would do: support her children from afar, even if they're not aware that she's doing so.

"My little sunflower, my little lion, I'm here for you, even if you don't know I'm here," Hito said as she watched from afar during the mock battle.


"It's begun", said Dimitri. "Stick to the plan", Dimitri ordered his classmates. Dedue would guard him while he guards Manuela, the professor. As long as she and Dimitri isn't defeated, the Blue Lions have a chance at victory.

"Remember to stick to the plan, Naruto" said Kakashi. He was determined to win, despite being the professor of a foreign school in a foreign land with students in a foreign language. He actually enjoyed his job more than he enjoyed his other jobs in Konoha. He was determined to win; this wasn't like the Bell Test back home. His reputation was at stake, and he wasn't going to lose. Kakashi of the Sharingan along with his Golden Deer would prevail.

"This seems to be an interesting strategy, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have our leader fight on the front lines."

Edelgard wasn't sure that his strategy was sound.

"The only one I'm concerned with is Kakashi. He is stronger and smarter than anyone here. No one is to fight him except me."

He was very observant. Edelgard thought if he could win this, then saving Monica wouldn't be a problem. Everything depended on the Black Eagles winning this battle. Too much was at stake.

She was determined to win by any means necessary, knowing that if the professor wins the mission to raid the bandits' hideout would be given to the Black Eagles. the class would be able carry out the operation at their own discretion. She would go through the entire hideout, determined to save her. She couldn't lose anyone else, even if the right thing to do strategically would be to let her die .

"Just wait a little longer, my beloved. I'll save you." Edelgard said to herself.


Hinata was the leader of what was jokingly considered the shy girl squad, and they were hiding in the bushes to ambush the Blue Lion students approaching them.

The Byakugan certainly comes in handy, Bernadetta said, not phased by the veins on Hinata's eyes when she had her Byakugan activated. "Take aim." Hinata ordered to Bernadetta, who took the bow out of her quiver.

"Aim a little bit to the right," Bernadetta aimed her bow the exact direction Hinata instructed.

"Now."

As soon as it was ordered, two combatants went down. Both were from the Blue Lions. There were two more from the Golden Deer, wondering what had happened.

"Bernadetta aim for the left; Marianne aim for the right." They both fired, taking out two of the Golden Deer. One was Choji and Raphael.

Knowing that their position was exposed, she ordered her squad to fall back.


Shez had seen two of her classmates taken out, and she couldn't tell where they were. She also saw that two members of the Blue Lions had been taken out as well. She saw three people move, but she couldn't see them because they were moving so fast. Who was leading this squad?

She was about to move when she saw three individuals approach her. Great, she thought, she would never be able to get to Byleth without dealing with them first.

"I'm looking forward to having that rematch," said Lee as he got into his fighting stance. Neji moved in front of Sasuke and Mercedes to get ready to fight Lee.

"I will handle this one, Sasuke, Mercedes-san. I'll get to you as soon as this fight is over," Neji said. They looked at him reluctantly but decided to leave him. No, she wasn't going to be insulted like this; she wasn't going to allow Sasuke or Mercedes to ignore her.

She stood in front of them, not allowing them to get past her.

"I guess it can't be helped. Mercie, stay behind me; I will handle this," Sasuke said as he withdrew his sword.

Before anything could be done, a thorn was cast, preventing Mercedes from retreating. She looked and saw that it was Dorothea. They were surrounded.

Her chances of winning were higher now that she didn't have to worry about the woman potentially ganging up on her while she was too busy fighting Dorothea. Sasuke, she knew, she'd have to go all out from the very start. He was one of the strongest students in the academy—there was no way she could possibly defeat him without using all of her power.

Does she use the power that she possessed and had used against Byleth Eisner? She had no time to second-guess; she was surprised by how fast Sasuke moved. He was right behind her. She blocked his sword with both of her twin blades. Sasuke was so fast that she barely noticed he was there before it was too late. He was no joke; his speed was faster than hers. In fact, he may be faster than even Byleth.

He was the prodigy of the year 1175, the year he graduated from the academy in Konoha; he was far stronger than most of her opponents she had ever fought against, minus Byleth. His speed was second to none as he continued to move faster. She had to remain calm; she couldn't lose her nerve. She tried to use a technique that had once been taught to her to detect someone that she could not see.

She saw Sasuke and struck at his abdomen—or so she thought. An afterimage appeared behind her, and when she tried to strike again, it was useless.

"Your skills are impressive, Shez San. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to lose," Sasuke said as he was about to strike at her neck. She moved out of the way; she did not want to use her power, but she had to if she ever had any chance of winning.

The power that she used six months ago engulfed her; she felt an immense amount of energy. Sasuke looked surprised as she moved quicker than even he was able to. With a cross-guard strike, she struck at Sasuke's chest; he was knocked back, barely able to hold on to his sword.

He looked at her, impressed and surprised by her sudden surge of power.

"I didn't want to use this at this stage of the battle, but I'm left with no choice. You are much stronger than you appear," Sasuke said as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, the fabled Sharingan appeared. She had heard about it from her mother when she read about the various clans that exist in Ninji; seeing it up close felt like her mind was being invaded. Now, she had to resist; the Sharingan is able to mess with your reflexes. Her mother once told her always to keep her eyes away from a Sharingan user if she should ever face one in combat.

She kept her eyes away. Even with the powers she had, she knew that even she could be defeated by the power of Sasuke's Sharingan. She moved as swiftly as possible and aimed to strike at Sasuke's vital points, hoping to end the battle quickly. Sasuke stood there calmly, waiting for her to strike.

When she was about to land a blow that would lead to her victory, Sasuke, with a motion of his sword arm, knocked her out of her powered state. She couldn't believe it; she collapsed on the ground. She looked at Sasuke—it was like fighting a giant. He was so much stronger than her that she wanted to punch the ground in frustration over how easily she lost.

"You have a ways to go. If you ever want to fight me again, you need to train more," Sasuke said as he turned his back on her. To think that Byleth, stronger than him, scares her. She looked up at the sky. She had lost, and she was still nowhere near close to Byleth's level to defeat him. She hoped her classmate Lee had better luck.


Neji didn't think he would be fighting his teammate so soon. Part of him was excited to have another match with Lee; he respected his skills and his perseverance. Despite how many times he defeated him, Lee still came back determined to win. Though that gap in their skills and strength was not as big as it used to be, Neji lost a fight here and there now, where their battles were almost 50/50. He wasn't the person he wanted to fight; the person he wanted to fight the most was Hinata. He wanted to see how strong she had become, and he would have to go all out from the very start.

"It's a shame that you're facing me right now, Lee, because you're not the person I want to fight," said Neji as he got into his stance.

"What a coincidence! You're not the person I want to fight right now either. I want to fight Hinata. I've heard she's gotten stronger, and I also want to fight Dimitri and Edelgard. I will have to go all out against you; I cannot afford to lose!" Lee said.

They were about to get into their stances when Neji saw an arrow go straight at them both, along with an ice storm. He tried to move out of the way; so did Lee, but they didn't get far. Neji saw Bernadetta aim her arrow at him, and he was struck, falling face down on the ground. Lee was hit by Marianne's Thorn spell. He felt foolish, and then he saw Hinata, who had an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry; I must help my class win," Hinata said as she, along with her squad, moved past them.

That look on her face, the confidence, the doubts that plagued her—it wasn't there. The girls that were with her had the same reputation Hinata had, and they had the same look of determination to win. Under normal circumstances, Neji would be annoyed by how he lost, but then he realized this was not Konoha. He heard Lee laugh.

"Well, we got carried away and lost in the most undignified manner. What is their squad, anyway?" asked Lee.

"That's a good question," Neji replied.

He decided to sit this battle out. The Blue Raven squad was unfortunately down by one person, but he had faith that Sasuke and Mercedes would carry on the fight without him.


Mercedes noticed something was off about Dorothea. Usually, she was giving off a cheerful smile, but this time it looked fake, as if she was hiding a deep sadness and pain.

"Are you okay, Dorothea?" asked Mercedes, worried about her classmate from the Black Eagles.

"I'm fine, Mercedes. Just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," Dorothea said as she got into her stance.

"I won't lose either; I won't be a burden on Sasuke-kun." Something about the way she said it caused Dorothea to have a grin on her face.

"You couldn't make it more obvious if you tried," Dorothea said, implying that she was feeling something for Sasuke, other than friendship she buried deep in her mind not wanting to be distracted.

"He is just a friend," Mercedes said, her face turning red.

"You're so cute, you know that? You and Hinaa are so much alike when it comes to your men," Dorothea said, which caused Mercedes to turn even redder.

"I want to focus on the battle," Mercedes said as she cast a fireball spell, cutting off Dorothea. She countered by casting a spell of her own and unleashed a thunder strike. Mercedes used a jutsu that she was taught back in Konoha. She had never used it because of how dangerous it could potentially be, but she was determined to win by any means. When she was done with the last of the hand signs, Dorothea jumped out of the way as she cast a fireball jutsu.

"Holy shit! Are you trying to kill me?" asked Dorothea, shocked at how aggressive Mercedes was being.

"I will not lose, even to you! Today we are competitors," Mercedes said as she cast another jutsu.

"Fire Style: Goddess Fire!" Mercedes yelled as an array of fireballs erupted from her mouth. Dorothea countered with jutsus of her own.

"Fire Style: Fire Explosion!" Dorothea said as she created a shadow clone, causing Mercedes to jump out of the way.

Mercedes shouldn't be surprised that she would know how to use Shadow clones, considering how often she hangs out with Naruto and Hinata; she was bound to pick up a technique or two from their homeland. She had it down quickly. She didn't want to use this technique, considering how much chakra it consumed, but given that Dorothea was not an opponent she could take lightly, it had to be used.

"I apologize in advance, Dorothea," Mercedes said as she rapidly performed the hand signs for her jutsu that she had created herself with Sasuke's help. She closed her eyes as she completed the last of the hand gestures, lifting her right hand in the air. A bolt of lightning shot from her fingertips, and the sky darkened.

When she was done, she slammed her hand downward, and what erupted was a dragon that resembled the immaculate one. Dorothea tried to move out of the way but didn't get a chance to react in time as she was knocked back.

When it was over, Mercedes rushed to where Dorothea was to make sure she wasn't injured in any significant way. She saw her rubbing her backside.

"Damn, I don't expect you of all people to be so competitive," Dorothea said as she lay on her back.

"You are not yourself today; you wouldn't have lost that easily under normal circumstances. What is wrong?" Mercedes asked kindly. She was concerned about her friend, who had a longing look on her face. When she turned in the direction Dorothea was looking, she saw it was Naruto, and it clicked immediately.

"I have to help Sasuke-kun win this battle. If you want to talk after the battle is over, I will gladly be of assistance," Mercedes said as she left Dorothea alone. Sasuke was running towards where Naruto was, and Mercedes was by his side.

"That jutsu—I did not expect you to be able to use that so fast," Sasuke said with pride in his ability to teach her one of his clan's jutsu.

"I have a great teacher. It was a difficult jutsu to pull off. I hope I don't ever have to use it again," Mercedes said, thinking about how powerful it could be if she used it in a battle to kill someone.

"Let's focus on the battle; nobody's going to die today," said Sasuke as he took her hand. Her cheeks turned pink. Why was she acting like this? No, she would focus on the battle.


Naruto was with Gaara, assigned to protect the fort where Kakashi was stationed. He was seeing mirages of multiple individuals defeating various opponents. Confused, Naruto watched as he saw Dorothea get defeated by Mercedes from a distance. He also saw Neji and Rock Lee fall simultaneously to Marianne and Bernadetta, who ambushed them. Most surprisingly, he saw Hinata. The way she commanded and inspired her team made Naruto feel awestruck; she seemed like a queen in the making.

"You better pay attention to the battle, kit, or you're going to lose by staring at your mate," Kyubi joked.

"This is unexpected," thought Gaara.

Then both Naruto and Gaara watched as Sasuke easily defeated Shez, which wasn't surprising. After all, Naruto could see that Sasuke didn't want to lose with Mercedes watching him, even though she was his friend.

"Stick to the plan," Naruto said to Gaara, who nodded in agreement as they both took formation.

"You know, if we had one more person, we could call ourselves the Golden Fox Squad," Naruto remarked, causing Gaara to roll his eyes.

"The Golden Fox Squad? Can't you come up with something like that when we're not in the middle of a mock battle?" Gaara asked.

"Of course," Naruto replied, pulling out a kunai and preparing for anything.


"What are they doing?" said Dimitri, surprised that the professor from the Black Eagles was good. He had to come up with a counter strategy, but how? An arrow flew right past him and hit Manuela as she went down in an instant. They were aiming to take down the heads.

"Your Majesty, we are" he was instantly taken out who was commanding them?

"Marianne Chan, Bernadetta Chan. I will take on Dimitri you; you know your orders" Hinata ordered they moved as swiftly as a ninja Dimitri couldn't even keep up if he wanted to to pursue them not with Hinata in front of him.

He had not fought Hinata one-on-one in seven years, since their sparring sessions at the Hyuga Clan compound. Back then, Dimitri won nearly all of their matches, as Hinata lacked the confidence she possesses now. This time, things would not end the same way.

"I'm sorry Dimitri; I can't lose." She was determined to win, gone was the stuttering and gone was her lack of confidence. This was a determined woman determined to win. What had the professor done to bring this out?

"I wish we could do this under different circumstance Hinata, but I can't lose either." The girl smiled; she was enjoying this?

"If you hold back Dimitri, I will never forgive you. Use everything you have. If you don't, I will knock you down. I will not lose to anyone, not to Naruto-kun, and not you." She got into her fighting stance, so he would finally be facing the gentle fist, the famous fighting style of the Hyuga clan for the first time in 7 years. He was eagered to see how far his friend had come at that time.


"Ashe, Shion,Sai Neji Sylvain, and Dedue are already down; along with Professor Manuela, we have to assist Dimitri." said Ingrid, leading her squad to try to come to Dimitri's aid. But she was stopped by the professor of the Black Eagles, who is accompanied by Hubert and Shino. She wasn't equipped to deal with either one of them, and neither was Annette or Felix.

"I will take on Ingrid; you two handle Annette and Felix." She had no chance against him, but she couldn't just stand there while her teammates got defeated. This was a slaughter; the Blue Lions were getting completely wiped out.

"It's quite a shame you're not in my class Ingrid; you are quite skilled." The Black Eagle's professor said as a form of respect.

"It's a shame you're not in our class." Ingrid responded in kind.

"Here's my offer: If you beat me, I won't ask you to join my class ever again. But if I beat you, you will have to take my offer into consideration. I personally think a talented woman like you being in a class with a professor who can't bring out your potential would be a waste. I'm saying this because I respect you. Ingrid hit me with everything you've got."

She has to take into consideration what he has to say. He knows her well; he studies what she strongly believes, what is strongly in her heart: honor and valor. It would be dishonorable if she did not agree, especially someone who treats her with such respect, he didn't have to.

"Thank you I'll take that into consideration I will join your class but only if you beat me"she couldn't take it back she had to live up to her end of the bargain she was determined to win but part of her wanted to get stronger so she would never be weak again or unable to protect those she loves she cannot let what happened to Glenn happen to anyone else. She got in a fighting stance time stopped for what seemed to be an instant if she defeated the professor here the battle was as good as won. She charged he calmly deflected everything she threw at him she tried to attack him from his left he blocked she tried attack him to his right he blocked. No matter what she did he constantly countered she was breathing heavily she was tiring she had to win this. She had to think then she noticed something a opening if she waited for him to strike first she could win this with one blow. She struck halfway he was about to defend himself then she pulled back and then she hit him in the back.

All she had to do was hit him one more time, but things didn't go as planned; she was hit in the back by an arrow.

She looked and it was Bernadetta. She couldn't believe it; she had lost. She was so close.

"There is one main reason you lost. This is a simulation of what a real battle might have been like, if this had been real, you would have been dead. Don't expect your enemy to have honor like me. You left many openings in our exchange. I could have ended the confrontation at any time."

She didn't want to believe it; she had no chance to win. He led her to a false sense of security, thinking she would win. He knew Bernadetta was going to strike.

"I've lost completely," she said feeling completely defeated. It was not a good feeling she felt completely weak and useless.

"There's no shame in admitting that you have a lot to learn. Now the offer still stands; you don't have to join my class. But I can help you become stronger. Just think about what I said. I look forward to your answer."

He turned his back and walked away to help his team. She knew Annette and Felix were defeated. It was like fighting a god; it was almost scary and inspiring in a way. If this were a real battle, everyone who had been defeated so far would have died.

He knew she would accept his offer. He only did it to be polite, giving her the opportunity to refuse if she wanted to. She didn't want to refuse; she wanted to be stronger. She didn't want to be hopeless again. She didn't want to be unable to protect the people she loves.

She thought about Naruto, and then she thought about Hinata and Dorothea. How could she possibly protect them when she can barely protect herself? Despite the pain that she feels, despite the longing she has for the three people she loves, she can't refuse his offer. She does not ever want to be weak again, where she can't protect those that are the most dear to her.

No, she would accept. She looked at her friends from the Blue Lions. This would be the last day that she would be one of them.


"Are you kidding me? The Blue Lions are almost completely wiped out already, and the battle has barely started," said Naruto, shocked that the Blue Lions were losing so easily. He didn't want to face his rival at this moment. The professor of the Black Eagles was someone he didn't want to let get to Claude or Kakashi. He was far stronger and smarter than most of the Golden Deer put together.

Naruto saw Sasuke and Mercedes together; they both had a determined look to win. Gaara went by Naruto's side; he was confident that with Gaara's help, they could possibly win this, even if it was by the skin of their teeth.

"I'll take on Naruto. When I'm done, I'll help you with Gaara," Sasuke said as he got into his stance.

"Remember in the Chunin exams five years ago when we fought in the final match, when Hinata-chan and Mercedes-san watched us? I wonder who's going to win this time?" Naruto asked.

"Well, your girlfriend is not on the bench cheering for you; she will likely strike at you at any time. So we better end this before she ends up getting a victory by striking us both from behind," Sasuke said as he got into his stance.

"Be careful of Gaara, Mercie," Sasuke warned before he and Naruto started their battle.

"I will, Sasuke-kun. Be careful," Mercedes said as she got into her own stance, ready to face her opponent.


Mercedes wasn't sure if she could defeat the man in front of her. She had seen Naruto fight Gaara before, during the Chunin exams. She had to do everything she could to at least slow him down enough so that when Sasuke defeated Naruto, he could come to her aid.

"I wish we would have met again under different circumstances. It's unfortunate it's during a mock battle," said Gaara as he saw sand coming out of his gourd, ready to protect himself from any attack Mercedes could throw at him. He wasn't the kind of person she could take lightly.

"I agree, Gaara. Maybe when this is over, I could make enough sweets for everyone. I recall you liked the sweets I made," Mercedes said as she got ready to attack.

"I don't really like sweets, but for you and Hinata-san, I make an exception— but only because I like your cooking," Gaara said as he prepared his own attack.

"You've come a long way, Gaara. I can tell by your eyes," Mercedes said, thinking about the first time she met him—the darkness and the killing intent he had that had almost killed Naruto in their fight. Despite what everyone else felt, she was never afraid of Gaara.

"Enough talk; it's time to settle this. I won't hold back," said Gaara as he manipulated the sand that surrounded him and sent it straight at Mercedes. Luckily, in her time in Konoha, she had learned about the elemental jutsus. strengths and weaknesses, Gaara's was Earth so she would counter with lightning.

She quickly did hand signs in order to perform a lightning jutsu that Sasuke had once used in one of his sparring matches with Naruto. It wasn't the Chidori; she didn't have the capacity to use that technique. It was something else entirely.

Lightning and gold in her left and right hands.

"Lightning Style: Light Judgment!" Mercedes yelled as a lightning spear appeared from her index finger. Gaara quickly formed a shield around himself to counter her attack, but she cast another jutsu.

"Lightning Style: Holy Lance!" Mercedes shouted, using her left and right index fingers as if she were drawing the lance with her fingers like a pen. They appeared above Gaara and struck at him. He barely managed to counter her technique. He looked impressed.

He said nothing as a sandstorm rapidly engulfed her. She knew she could not get out of this one, not without help. She couldn't lose; she must help her class win. She hoped Sasuke was doing better than she was against his opponent because, without help, she would not be able to win this battle.

No, she can't think that way; she has to find a way to defeat Gaara. She cannot be a burden on Sasuke or any of her classmates; she had to win. She felt Gaara's presence and the heat of his touch on her skin. She couldn't let herself be intimidated—Gaara may be a lot stronger than her, but that doesn't mean she can't win.

She moved out of the way as she saw sand pebbles moving rapidly toward her like bullets. If it weren't for the training she had received from Sasuke during their time in Konoha, or when they were reunited, she would not have been able to dodge any of his blows. Despite her disdain for physical activity, she was glad she had done it because it allowed her to evade what could have been devastating hits.

He wasn't relenting. She tried to block as many of them as possible with counter-attacks using lightning. It would only be a matter of time before she tired, before she made a mistake, and before her defenses gave out.

She did not want to use this technique, but considering the opponent she was up against, she had no choice. She closed her eyes; her right hand and her left glowed as she prayed to the goddess. A flame appeared below Gaara's feet. He was caught off guard; he barely managed to move out of the way but still took some damage. She wasn't going to relent. She unleashed a lightning strike using a thunder spell, which struck Gaara, knocking him down.

He looked at her, surprised that he had lost. She was surprised she had won. This was surely based on luck; there was no way she should have won—that's what she thought.

"I underestimated you, Mercedes-san. I will admit I lost this one. I will never live this one down," Gaara said as he looked up at the sky.

"I have to go by his side," Mercedes said as she left him behind. She was going to help him win; they needed all their energy against Kakashi, who was one opponent she wanted to humble badly, and it had always been her goal since the first time she met him.


Naruto and Sasuke were clashing with their kunai. Naruto and Sasuke were almost equal in strength, with Naruto having a slight edge over Sasuke. They both couldn't do this indefinitely; Naruto would win this, and Sasuke knew it. Sasuke kicked Naruto back, giving him distance. Sasuke was going all out; he wanted to save his energy against Kakashi. Naruto wanted to save his energy against Byleth Eisner, but he knew he had to go all out against Sasuke or risk defeat.

Naruto created 100 Shadow Clones in order to try to distract Sasuke long enough for him to come up with a counterattack. Sasuke knocked clone after clone down like it was nothing; they had done this many times. Naruto couldn't help but think of the Chunin Exams. It was almost like they were both reliving that fateful match five years ago, except this time Naruto and Sasuke did not have Hinata and Mercedes cheering for them. He tried to go at Sasuke together with his shadow clones as Sasuke knocked one clone after another down. Sasuke was trying to remain calm; he activated his Sharingan, and as Naruto predicted, he took out his clones even faster and was able to dodge any punches they threw at him.

Naruto didn't have much time; he didn't feel comfortable fighting this way, but considering the circumstances, he had to use this technique. Three of his shadow clones assisted him in forming the Rasengan. A sphere appeared on his right hand. Naruto ran as fast as his legs would take him; he was going to strike at Sasuke. He was going to end this match. Sasuke was caught by surprise; he wouldn't be able to defend himself from this.

When he was about to strike at Sasuke's abdomen, Naruto felt a bolt of lightning strike at his back. With his momentary distraction, Sasuke kicked Naruto, and he fell on his back. He couldn't believe it; he looked and saw it was Mercedes, who had an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I hope you're not mad at me; I want our class to win," Mercedes said. Sasuke, as usual when it came to Mercedes, could never be mad at her; he shrugged it off.

"It's all right. We could fight one-on-one at any time. Let's help our class win." They both ran past Naruto. Naruto couldn't believe it; both he and Gaara were defeated by them. That look in Mercedes' eyes—she was determined to win—but something else was in her eyes. It was no secret to Naruto; Sasuke's feelings toward her were strong, and what he had seen since they were reunited had shown that their relationship had changed.

"That woman's pheromones, along with the Uchiha, couldn't make it more obvious how badly they've desired to mate with each other," Kyubi said with an amused tone, looking at the two.

"Well, it was no secret Sasuke really liked her. When she was in Konoha for a year, he could not have made it any more obvious he had a crush on her if he tried," Naruto said nostalgically, remembering teasing Sasuke about it when she first showed up in the academy to give him lunch and Sasuke's red face whenever her name was brought up.

"Like her? It's something much more than that, you idiot! He's in love with that woman! Surely you can see that?" Kyubi said, annoyed that Naruto couldn't see something more obvious. But then he thought about Hinata and put his hand on where his heart was when he thought about her.

"You should tell your mate how you feel today. As far as I recall, you and Dorothea had a discussion regarding this very topic two weeks ago," Kyubi said. Then Naruto remembered where he was at and felt like an idiot. How he lost; he was annoyed that he lost too, and the way that he did.

"Why didn't you help me win, damn it?" Naruto asked him.

"You think I'm going to waste my time on petty battles? That don't have life-or-death consequences. You lost because of your own stupidity and arrogance. Think of this as a lesson in paying attention to the environment around you. Mercedes saw you about to attack her teammate. She took advantage of an opening. You're lucky this wasn't a real battle; she would have killed you if it was."Kyubi scalded him like he was scolding a child.Naruto felt even worse. He hoped the rest of the Golden Deer would fare better than he did.


Lysithea couldn't believe how many of her teammates were taken out already; it irritated her if only she had a teacher who could actually teach her. Kakashi from Konoha didn't suit her needs. A squad of two Black Eagles was taking out most of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer. They didn't have one loss; just what kind of strategy did Byleth implement? The new professor intrigued her; she wanted to learn under him. She knew her class would lose, but she was too proud to just give up. She was going to fight to the bitter end.

She saw Sasuke and Mercedes approach her. She couldn't fight Sasuke at close range.

"Shikamaru! Get off your lazy ass!" Lysithea said, clearly annoyed.

"I guess I can't convince you to leave us alone, can I?"Shikimaru asked Sasuke and Mercedes.

"I'm sorry, but we are determined to win it's nothing personal."Mercedes said to Shikamaru unapologetically.

"Interesting; so even the nice girl at times can be competitive." Lysithea said surprised at the competitive side of Mercedes.They clearly had the advantage: because of the terrain as long as she stayed at her spot there was a chance at victory, even if Sasuke was stronger than all of them, he couldn't beat all of them easily especially with Kakashi close by there was a chance even if was a slight chance they can win.

Before she could do anything, she felt an arrow hit her back, and she fell to the ground. "Are you kidding me?" she said when she looked up and saw a girl in the bushes running away. Bernadetta. How had she become so strong and fast? She saw Shikamaru get hit by an ice spell; Whoever this professor was, she wanted to be taught by him after this day was over. She would leave the Golden Deer house like Marianne did. If Marianne could improve this fast, then so could she.

She saw Sasuke and Mercedes run right past her and their group, ignoring them. They were going for the head, and there was nothing she could do about it because she was defeated. No matter how this turns out, she intends to transfer to the Black Eagles. She has no intention of being held back by a teacher who is incapable of bringing out her talent. She doesn't have time for such teachers; she barely has time as it is.

She waited out the battle to see the inevitable outcome one way or another.


What the hell is happening?

Claude said he was with Leonie, Ino, and Ignatz. He was near the Black Eagle's defense, the ones defending Edelgard. The plan by Kakashi was to take her out, but she was being guarded by Caspar, Ferdinand, and Kiba. He had to be careful; many of the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions had been taken out already. Where was Petra? Claude wondered. He didn't think about her; he couldn't help but feel uneasy about Petra, who could be anywhere.

"So what's the plan, Claude?" asked Ino.

"Use your Mind Transfer Jutsu on Caspar and you'll use his body to take out Ferdinand. Then, Leonie will go straight for Kiba." His plan was sound, but what would Claude do? He aimed his bow and fired, hitting the person who turned out to be none other than Linhardt. he had been cleverly hiding there.

"Damn, that hurts! Was that really necessary?"Linhardt asked annoyed.

"Hey, what can I say? There's no way we're going to let the Black Eagles curbstomp everyone. We're going to take a few of you out As simple as that." Claude said with a smile. He would at least take out Edelgard if he could take out one of the leaders. That would at least mean the Golden Deer are forced to be reckoned with.

Using her mind-transferring jitsu, Ino got into Casper's body and Ferdinand took him out immediately. As soon as the jitsu was undone, Caspar was taken out by Leonie. Even though his team had lost, Claude was still going to be the one to take out Edelgard.

"Oh Claude, you made a huge mistake," Edelgard smiled as if she knew something he didn't.

"And what would that be?" asked Claude. He looked at the rest of his team, who had been taken out by an arrow and a few spells. What the hell was going on?

"We call them the Shy Girl Squad; don't underestimate them." Then it clicked, and he felt stupid. Of course, Marianne, Bernadette, Hinata, and others were attacking key points. Then he realized Dimitri was likely fighting Hinata right now and might have already either defeated her or lost. It didn't matter; the Shy Girl Squad were the key to the victory of the Black Eagles, and he hadn't realized it until it was too late.

"Well, I'm not going to give up. I'll defeat you at the very least." He said as he took out his bow, but then he was hit by a spell and bugs.

"Interesting strategy. The professor came up with that. In hindsight, he predicted everything Claude would do." Hubert said with satisfaction.

Claude wishes he did not underestimate the new professor, and he wants to kick himself out of all the strategies to lose to. Of all the names he felt humiliated him, his class would never live this down—losing to a squad called the Shy Girl Squad. He never imagined the three shy girls almost single-handedly taking out most of the Golden Deer and Blue Lions. His class had lost; even Kakashi couldn't turn the tide.


Hilda was waiting patiently with her team, Sakura and Petra, as they watched Kakashi like a hawk. Their strategy, told by their professor, was to wait until Kakashi had fought Sasuke before making their move. It was strange making a move against her former professor, but she supposed that's what would happen when she transferred. Sakura looked like she had a different look altogether.

"I can't wait to see the look of shock on my sensei's face when he finds out that one of his former students that he ignored contributed to his defeat. It will be so satisfying," said Sakura eagerly. Hilda had no opinion about Sakura one way or the other, considering she had never interacted with her before. Petra was eager to strike, but like a predator waiting to strike at their prey, she stayed put, waiting for the right moment.

The leader of this team was Sakura, who knew Kakashi's tactics. She had worked with him in the past and knew what he would do. Not to mention, Sakura knew his strengths and weaknesses. She was glad she wasn't the leader.

Though she would be lying if her knees didn't feel a little cramped from being in the same position for almost an hour. It would be worth it, Hilda thought. Only when they got out of this position and just struck her former professor would it all be worth it. She saw Sasuke and Mercedes defeat Naruto and Gaara that was the signal. Her team knew their time had come.

Sakura gave her a signal. In a few moments, they would strike, and they would strike hard..


Kakashi was waiting for them, sensing that his class was about to lose. He was the last one standing, no matter what. But that wasn't entirely true; he had been in tougher situations before. Luckily, this wasn't a life-or-death scenario.

He watched as Sakura led a charge with Petra and Hilda by her side. It seemed the professor had studied three-man cell tactics from Konoha and was using that strategy against him. Petra, the fastest of the three, went straight at Kakashi. Despite her young age, her speed caught him off guard. She moved with such fluidity, like her body was made of water. He knew this agility stemmed from her upbringing in Brigid, where individuals were trained from a young age in hunting and combat. Had she trained in Konoha, she would have been a formidable shinobi given her skills.

Just as he was about to strike at Petra, Hilda, who appeared lazy on the surface, unexpectedly struck him from behind with tremendous strength. Kakashi struggled to move as quickly as his legs would allow; these two women were stronger than he had anticipated. Before he could devise a counter-strategy, Sakura charged at him, delivering a chakra-imbued punch that sent him crashing against a tree. Had it not been for his lifetime of training, he would have been knocked out. Sakura was stronger than he expected.

Realizing he needed to end this quickly, he hesitated to use his Sharingan. With these three women in front of him, he risked losing, especially considering their strength and how synchronized they were, following Sakura's leadership. Just as he was preparing to strike, Sakura signaled to her team with her right hand.

"Fall back, team," Sakura commanded, and the three women began to retreat. Kakashi wondered why they were pulling back when they clearly had the advantage, but then he understood why.

Sasuke appeared along with Mercedes; they both had the determination to win. He had not spoken to Sasuke once since he transferred to the academy and went to the Blue Lions class. The woman in front of him—her eyes told him everything he needed to know she despises him, and this was personal for her. She was determined to win.

"Do you think you and that girl can defeat me, Sasuke?" he asked.

"Me and Sasuke Kun won't lose." Mercedes said with complete confidence.

They got in formation; the two worked together. Sasuke casted his fireball jutsu while Mercedes casted a similar spell, though not as strong.

He jumped out of the way, but they wouldn't relent. She cast a Lightning spell at him. Kakashi dodged; Sasuke was a lot faster and stronger than he had been before he was hit by Mercedes' spell. This girl is stronger than she looks. Sasuke and her are a team stronger than they are apart.

They were in perfect sync with each other, which surprised Kakashi. They were able to communicate with each other without saying anything; this was something he rarely saw with anyone. He never saw Sasuke work this well with anyone on Team 7, not even with Naruto and Sakura. This girl was something else.

She attacked him with a Ragnarok spell; she was clearly a student of the academy of sorcery and skilled in magic. Despite them having different styles of fighting, her style was compatible with Sasuke's, who casted another fireball jitsu at him, which he barely dodged. But that wasn't the intention of the attack; it was a distraction. Sasuke was at Kakashi's right side, and Kakashi was nearly able to block Sasuke's sword, which would have knocked him out instantly.

He felt Mercedes hit him on the back with her lightning. At this rate, he was going to lose if he didn't come up with a counter strategy fast. The girl would not relent; she casted another spell, a fireball spell weaker than her previous spells, but the purpose was not to hit Kakashi but to distract him. Sasuke threw a barrage of shuriken that he managed to block. There was no way he could afford for this fight to continue; Byleth Eisner was stronger than Sasuke, and he couldn't waste any more time. He had to use his trump card, as reluctant as he was to do so.

He moved his headband up to reveal his Sharingan. "Don't look in his eyes, Mercie. The Sharingan will mess with your senses." Sasuke activated his own Sharingan to counter his.

They fought hand-to-hand, Kakashi countering every blow. Mercedes cost another spell, he dodging. Was this the strategy that the new professor had in mind? Let others tire him down, so it will be easy for him to defeat him? Such a dangerous foe he would be if he were an enemy. Sasuke left an opening, and Kakashi took advantage of his opening, knocking Sasuke down.

Despite Sasuke's loss Mercedes was determined to defeat him even without Sasuke's help.

"You can't win against me you know that right?"Kakashi asked before he got ready to do another strike it would instantly knock her out of the battle but she still wasn't deterred.

"I will not lose to the likes of you," Mercedes said with what was uncharacteristic of her hatred. Kakashi remembered their exchange well in Konoha and how she felt about the system, which he was a part of, and his treatment of Sasuke and Naruto. That was a memory he couldn't forget.

Kakashi went straight at her; he was going to end this fight as quickly as possible. Mercedes was calm; she did not move. She silently and rapidly did hand signs, and he couldn't believe how she was able to perform such complex jutsu despite not being a Shinobi. She aimed her left index finger at Kakashi, and he knew he had to move out of the way; otherwise, he would lose. It was too late, though. By the time he moved, he was knocked down by Byleth Eisner. Mercedes went to Sasuke's side, checking if he was okay; for her, him losing was enough.

He looked at the professor, who had a satisfied look, as though every one of his plans had come to fruition. Kakashi couldn't believe it; every single student of the Golden Deer and Blue Lions played right into his hands. He was a dangerous foe if he ever became an enemy..

"You acting in the way I predicted," Byleth said triumphantly ."

"I must concede that you were the superior strategist in this round Byleth San you used everything against me including all my strengths you would be a dangerous enemy." Kakashi said with a form of respect.

"Don't sell yourself short, Kakashi San. Had I not implemented the strategy that I did, I don't think I would have been able to defeat you in the way that I did. My victory depended heavily on your defeat had I not done the strategy that I did. You probably would have won this mock battle. Anybody who has ever underestimated you has lost badly; your reputation as the copycat Ninja isn't unearned." Byleth said as a form of respect towards Kakashi.

"Underestimating you was my biggest mistake. Don't expect things to go this way, and the Eagle and the Lion." Kakashi warned.

"I'm looking forward to that day to see our students battle each other to test how well we've trained them. May the best man win that day, Kakashi-san." Byleth said, obviously familiar with the honorifics. He turned his back on Kakashi and went towards his class.

He looked at Sasuke and the woman, Mercedes. The woman that despises him, she helped him up. Sasuke and the woman turned away, hiding the red on their faces. Kakashi knew this would be a problem. Sasuke had already shown some signs of disloyalty towards Konoha in the past five years; this woman had changed him. She changed his outlook on life. The one thing that was consistent, though, was his pursuit for his clan's murder. Mercedes was Sasuke's biggest supporter and would support him every step of the way.

At the end of the day, this mock battle was nothing; there were other things at play that Kakashi had to deal with. He was on his own mission to find the lost Uchiha that he knew for sure was in the monastery. He just didn't know which one of the girls was the Uchiha that escaped him all those years ago.

He would be lying if he said that, despite it not being a priority on his mission parameters, it wasn't humiliating to lose the way he did. If he had an opportunity, he would avenge his defeat in the eagle and the lion; he would not lose against Byleth Eisner again.


Hinata heard another person go down. Dimitri was the only one left; the Black Eagles' victory was inevitable. She couldn't believe it her squad almost single-handedly winning the battle. It was incredible.

"Seems like I'm the last one standing. You'll have to do better than that, Hinata, if you wish to claim your victory."She knew that Dimitri was a lot stronger than she remembered. She had a lot to learn, even with all the training she'd gotten. She felt like she was still weaker than she wanted to be.

Naruto was already defeated; she looked at her friend from their childhood, they sparred many times, he won every match, she was not going to lose this time.

"The next attack will be the last," Hinata said as she got into the stance of her signature technique from her clan. This is the first time she'll ever use it in a serious battle .

"I agree," Dimitri got into his own stance. if this attack missed; she would lose. She did not have enough strength for another. She will not lose she was determined to win.

"1.8 Trigrams 64 Palms" struck with lightning speed, he tried to dodge her technique, he couldn't block all the blows. It was almost as if she had 64 arms. She was fast; she hit every point on all of his chakra points or magic (which it would be called in Fodlan). In this foreign land, out of the judgmental eyes of the Hyuga clan, she was going to win.

When the last blow hit, Dimitri went to his knees. Hinata was trying not to collapse.

"I've lost, Hinata; you've grown strong." Dimitri said proudly. The two laughed. Hinata collapsed on the ground, she was on her back. "You know I can't help but think what it would be like if you were with the Blue Lions. I think you would have loved it here." She thought about that. She almost chose the Blue Lions. She did often wonder what it would have been like. Would she still be the person she is now? She saw it in their eyes - the kind of feelings she has for Naruto. Mercedes has for Sasuke. And she didn't know it yet.

No, she's content with her choice; even if she isn't personally friends with Sasuke, he's found happiness, fellowship, and family - things that he will grow to appreciate in time.

"No, I made the right choice, Dimitri. And so did Sasuke San. We could still be friends, even if we're not in the same house together."

"Dimitri looked at her, almost thinking. "Perhaps you're right. There's one thing I want to do if you don't mind I like to take you to the hall of heroes." Dimitri said this car Hinata off guard hearing about the Hall of heroes she's heard about it in her class in the first week but she's never personally been there almost as if she felt unworthy.

"Why is there any reason to go to the Hall of Heroes?" asked Hinata.

"Your mother, Hitomi, was once part of the Blue Lions house. Ironically, 25 years ago, the Black Eagles suffered the worst defeat in its house's history, and 25 years later, it's the Blue Lions, the house she once chose, that suffers our worst defeat. You deserve to know who your mother was, and not to mention, I want to see the statue of Hitomi for myself," said Dimitri, looking at the sky.

"I would like that! When we have a free moment, I wouldn't mind going there," Hinata said. Dimitri smiled, happy that she agreed.

"I'm proud of you, Hinata. You have grown strong. Whatever the new professor has done, please don't change the kind woman that I've befriended all those years ago. I don't want you to become something else," Dimitri said with a serious expression.

"I have no intention of ever doing that, Dimitri. I was told I don't need to change who I am by Naruto-kun, Dorothea-san, Ingrid-san, Mercie-chan, and Edel-chan. All of you, you're important to me," Hinata said with genuine emotion. It was difficult for Dimitri to read what he was thinking.

"You've won! We should celebrate. Even if my class lost, I still would like to celebrate with you. This is a victory within itself, Hinata." Dimitri was struggling to get up, but Hinata helped him. Despite feeling tired herself, she felt amazing. Every one of her classmates was running towards her; even the Blue Lions were there. They were cheering, saying her name. She didn't know what to feel; she almost wanted to cry.

Dimitri let her go when she saw Naruto running towards her and hugging her.

"You are awesome, Hinata-hime. I'm proud of you," Naruto said in their language. Normally, she would be blushing like mad as Naruto kissed her, but on this occasion, she felt bolder and returned his kiss with the same passion.

"Seriously, you two should get a room," Claude joked.

"Damn it, Claude-kun! You have a way of ruining romantic moments," said Ino, lightly elbowing him.

She would never get this kind of acknowledgment back home. Even those she had fought against in the mock battle were happy for her. Everyone was— for the first time, she felt like she was worth something, like she belonged somewhere. A found family. She looked at the Black Eagles, who were happy for her. She pulled away from Naruto as the Eagles lifted her up like she was their Messiah and threw her. She wasn't worried that they would drop her. Everyone cheered; this was nothing like her wildest dreams. This was better. She was crying, but not out of sadness— but happiness. Happy that for the first time she felt appreciated and wanted by others.


Hito watched the entire mock battle. She saw the scene in front of her and smiled with pride. Her children—she had watched them grow. Her daughter was among the students, and she beamed as her classmates lifted her into the air, chanting her name in celebration. This reminded Hito of something that had once happened to her 25 years ago, on this exact spot. It was difficult to watch this scene unfold; as proud as she was of her children, it was another reminder of what she no longer had. Friends—some of whom were no longer here—one of them resembling the man she loved, the man she had witnessed being murdered. She felt like an exile, watching from afar as her children and the children of her friends and acquaintances showed their support and congratulations to her eldest daughter.

Before she could move, she heard a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw it was none other than Rhea, who had a sympathetic look on her face.

"So much like her parents. You could go to her, you know. There's nothing stopping you," the archbishop said.

"I'd only endanger them both. I can't afford to do that. It's better that she believes I'm gone, and my son—it's better that he believes that the woman who raised him was his mother. It would only cause him more pain and confusion." Hito looked at her children as they headed to the cafeteria to celebrate her daughter's victory.

"You and I are more alike than you want to admit. I would do everything I could to protect my family, as would you," Rhea said, thinking about her own grandchildren. It was one of the few secrets she divulged to Hito in exchange for Hito sharing secrets about her children.

"I have to go back to Abyss Abban. I can't leave him alone for too long," Hito said as she turned her back on the archbishop and headed back home—the only home she had. The home that she loved was no longer home; she was an exile, and the man who had made it her home was dead.

She returned to the one place where she wasn't known, except by reputation, and her son. Her whole life purpose was protecting her children; she had no other purpose after losing her husband and her future. Her children were what gave her a reason to live. Now, there was nothing else.


"I can't believe I played a role in our victory," Marianne said with a smile. From a distance, Byleth saw her, and he thought that smile on her face was beautiful. He loved her smile because it brought out the beauty in her. No matter how many years had passed since he first saw it, that had not changed. His father noticed the way he was looking at her.

"Come on, kid, congratulate her! Standing there looking at her is not a good look, especially if you're trying to keep your relationship under wraps," his father said, knowing what he was thinking.

"We're just friends, Father," Byleth said, trying to hide that it was the opposite, but he didn't want anyone suspecting anything.

"I don't believe you, kid. I remember how you looked at her when she left. How you still look at her even now—what you feel is natural," his father said, unaware of how little he really understood.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Byleth said, denying what his father was saying.

"There's a difference between feelings of friendship and love. I'm sorry that I have not been able to help you understand the difference. I can't give you advice that would help you, except this: don't make my mistake. Don't take her for granted like I did your mother," his father said, as if he was reflecting on his own experience with his wife..

Marianne again was smiling with her new friends Hilda was by her side along with Bernadetta, Hinata and her boyfriend Naruto. Along with their friends part of him wanted to leave her alone for a little bit longer but another part of him long to be alone with her just like the previous night he heard a chuckle from his companion.

"I know what you have planned tonight. Come on, don't act like a boy; you're both adults. You know what you're doing. Just be careful not to prematurely become a father," said Sothis jokingly, knowing what Marianne would want tonight. Not wanting to look weird by just standing there, he went to where Marianne was; he smiled at her and greeted her.

"Your strategy was perfect, Professor," said Hinata, who was happy that his strategy helped her team win almost single-handedly in the mock battle.

"I can't take all the credit, Hinata. Your input, along with everyone else's, is what made it possible. I can't take sole credit for our class's victory," Byleth said to the younger woman. Then he turned his face towards Sakura.

"Without your leadership, Kakashi would not have been as tired by the time I struck at him. Your patience and ability to lead also contributed to our victory, Sakura. You have shown that my faith in you was not misplaced." Sakura blushed at his praise.

Then he looked at Edelgard.

"Your suggestions on how to better defend our fort made the Golden Deer think that our defenses were weak. You were good at fooling the enemy; your ability to think on your feet and take advantage of the terrain made it possible for the enemy to focus on you instead of me. You would make a dangerous enemy indeed, Edelgard, but since this is a mock battle, you have done well. I hope to see you improve further." Edelgard was happy with his praise.

"I'm glad that I made a good impression on you, Professor. I hope in the future we can have discussions one-on-one; maybe we can learn from each other," the younger woman suggested.

"I would like that, Edelgard," Byleth said as he shook her hand as a form of respect. Then he looked at Marianne; he had to keep his composure.

"Marianne, without you and your contributions, your squad would not have been able to be as efficient as it was. Our victory was as swift as it was because of your addition to our class. You, most of all, contributed to our victory." Byleth said this, which caused her to turn away, blushing at his praise. He had to be careful considering where they were; he didn't say it because she was important to him. He meant it with all his heart and soul that she was important.

"You're giving me too much credit, Professor. Anyone could have done what I did," Marianne said, but Sakura chimed in.

"No, what you have done, nobody else could have. The professor is right; your skills helped contribute to our victory. I couldn't do what you have done, neither could any of us. Have more faith in yourself," Sakura said. He could help but pick up something in Hinata's eyes and Naruto's, but it faded, knowing it was pointless. Sakura was right; just because they don't like her doesn't change that fact.

"You are awesome, Marianne. If the professor led the Golden Deer, can you imagine how badly everyone would have been humbled? You are strong; you don't give yourself enough credit," Hilda said as she clasped her hands onto Marianne's.

"You defeated Neji easily, an opponent that I had a difficult time with. You are strong, Marianne," Naruto said with a smile of approval.

"You're not going to convince anyone, Marianne, that you weren't amazing today," said Dorothea with a kind smile.

"This is overwhelming. If you don't mind, I need to be someplace quieter," Marianne said, dismissing herself and looking at him with that look that he only knew too well—she wanted to say something but couldn't openly.

"Enjoy this victory for today; tomorrow will be a busy day." Before he could leave, Ingrid and Lysithea were here before him.

"If it isn't too much trouble, Professor, we would like to transfer and be in your class by tomorrow. That wouldn't be too much trouble, would it?" asked Ingrid.

"Not a problem. If you are willing to wait here for a few minutes, I'll fill out the forms to finalize your transfer by the end of the day," Byleth said.

"Okay, we'll be at the cafeteria in the meantime," Lysithea said as she went with the Black Eagles to their table to get acquainted with her classmates that she would be seeing tomorrow. Ingrid did the same.

As much as he would like to be alone with Marianne right now, it was not the time. Later, though, he went to the classroom, got the forms, and started to fill them out. When he was done, he went back to the cafeteria and handed them the forms. Without hesitation, they both signed it.

"I'll see you two tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day," Byleth said as he dismissed himself. He returned to the classroom to start grading papers and preparing the curriculum for the next month. He was pleased to have made a good impression on his students, understanding that a professor's effectiveness depends on earning their respect.

He focused intently on the tasks ahead of him, unaware as the sun began to set.


"Oh, I can see it in his eyes; our professor has a crush on our new classmate. I knew as soon as she smiled that he would be drawn to her."

Dorothea said happily that she was right.

"I can't help but think they like each other," Bernadetta said, pointing out the obvious.

"That's ridiculous," Ferdinand said.

"It's not ridiculous; I know from experience," Hinata said, causing everyone at the table to be silent. Naruto doing the same.

"Wait, you really think so?" Dorothea asked.

"I know from experience after."then she looked at Naruto Dorothea knew Naruto would want privacy today would be the day Dorothea clenched her heart despite how much it hurt she couldn't get in their way.

"May I borrow Hinata Chan for a while?" Naruto asked everyone at the table.

"It's not a big deal," said Dorothea, who was encouraging Hinata to take up on his offer.

"Sure, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she got up and left. She couldn't help but feel bittersweet; as happy as she was for them, it was difficult. It'd be a lot easier if she didn't feel the strong feelings she had towards them. She had to get away from the table. As she walked away, she saw Ingrid, who noticed her mood.

"What's wrong, Dorothea?" Her ex girlfriend asked her.

"It's about Naru and Hinaa." She said. Ingrid knew it immediately.

"Oh," Ingrid said, not knowing how to respond. Considering the previous night that they had together a night she wants to forget.

"It's not fair."Dorothea said.

"I know," Ingrid said quietly. They both looked at Naruto and Hinata; they knew where they were going—the Goddess Tower, the one place that Naruto would feel confident in confessing his feelings for Hinata. She thought about it when she and Naruto talked alone about his feelings.


2 weeks ago

Dorothea knew Naruto was deep in thought; he was quieter than usual. Usually, they would have fun banter, but this was one of those times where he wasn't engaging in conversation. They were alone in the garden near the golden deer sparring arena. Something was bothering him; she was concerned as his friend.

"Are you alright, Naru?" asked Dorothea, concerned.

Naruto said nothing.

"You are never this quiet. Is something wrong?" Dorothea asked again, but Naruto didn't respond.

"Naru, is something bad happening with you and Hinaa. You two have something great going; what's wrong?" Dorothea asked for the third time.

"Do I really deserve her?" Naruto asked. This was not what she expected. Naruto came off as confident, but here he was, insecure about his relationship. Dorothea could not allow that; she couldn't let any of her friends' happiness crumble, especially Naruto's and Hinata's. From what she had heard from them—bits and pieces—her friends' childhood was hell, and they deserved to be happy.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Dorothea asked.

"I don't know. I never thought about it before. I never did. I'm an idiot, I really am. I should be able to understand these emotions, but I don't know." Naruto hesitated, waiting for him to continue.

"Have you ever had strong feelings for someone but didn't know how to tell them because you don't understand what that emotion is?" Naruto asked. She could relate in a way because of being an orphan herself, but unlike Naruto, she at least knew what it was like to have a parent's love, while Naruto didn't know any of that.

"Naru, I can tell by your actions that you love Hinaa. Actions speak louder than words," Dorothea said, resisting any pain in her heart from the unrequited love she felt for both of them. This was about them, not her; she couldn't be selfish and make it about herself.

"I don't know what love is," Naruto admitted.

"Naru, I could tell by the tone of your voice every time you talk about her. I know you love her and have for a long time," Dorothea said. How was she able to understand his feelings better than he did? It perplexed her, but she couldn't blame him because of what he had been through in his childhood.

"How can someone like me understand love when I never had a mother or a father in my life or even siblings?" Naruto asked not understanding his own feelings.

"Love doesn't have to be understood, Naru. It just happens."Dorothea answered thinking about her own feelings for Ingrid, Naruto and Hinata.

"I remember when I first met her back when we were children. She was bullied by a bunch of kids because of her eyes." Naruto said, which caused Dorothea to twitch with anger. He could tell in her eyes that anyone bullying Hinata made her as sick as it made Naruto.

"The stupid kid that I was, I said I was going to be the Hokage, and they laughed at me. They stopped paying attention to Hinata and beat me up when I was a kid. I thought she was cute. I knew right then that she was perfect. She was someone that I felt needed to be protected, so when I needed to impress…I recall in the academy there was always a girl who was quiet and never really said much. All the other girls cheered for Sasuke whenever we sparred, but she didn't. When I think about it now, I recall a quiet voice cheering for me. I didn't think about it back then, and I didn't realize it was that same girl that I saved from bullies." Naruto said, feeling stupid for not realizing it earlier.

Dorothea never knew this, and Hinata never told her this.

"As I got older, the girl wouldn't leave my mind. I wondered where she was, who she was, and if she was all right. Being a dumbass that I was back then, I didn't realize Hinata-chan and that girl were one of the same until she gave me encouragement at a critical point." Naruto paused, and Dorothea knew that Naruto was going to share a memory that was special to him. She knew what Naruto was going to talk about; Hinata had told her about this story about her encouraging Naruto when he was at his low point, but this was from Naruto's perspective.

"Before the finals of the Chunin exams, I saw a match that changed forever how I saw Hinata-chan. The girl that I saved all those years ago, I didn't realize they were one and the same until I saw the way Neji acted towards her, the way he bullied her. When I saw her about to cry, I remembered that moment when I fought the bullies, and I felt angry because I couldn't help her. She was about to give up until I told her to not let Neji push her around." Dorothea was never told this, even by Hinata. Naruto encouraged her when Hinata was on the verge of giving up. The more she learns about their childhood in their home village, the more disgusted she gets, but she can't voice it out loud.

"I watched as Hinata Chan fought a battle that she couldn't win. She was so brave and so cool that everyone else didn't believe in her; they believed she should have given up, but I didn't. I wanted to see her fight like hell and prove to everyone that she wasn't weak. Of course, those in her clan wouldn't see that." Naruto said with anger. Hinata always tensed up whenever her clan was mentioned, and Naruto made it no secret that he held her clan in disdain.

"She lost her fight with Neji, and if the instructors at the exam hadn't interfered, he would have killed her." Naruto said, clenching his fist at the memory. Dorothea felt anger and rage at the thought of children fighting to the death.

"I can't believe they put her through that." Dorothea said with rage.

"The way Hinata Chan was defeated, she lay down on the floor, and I couldn't let what happened to her go. I had to avenge her honor, so I covered my right hand with her blood and vowed that I would defeat Neji." Dorothea, the more she learned about this story, the more shocked she was. She didn't even know that Naruto had done that, and Hinata didn't know either.

"During the finals of the Chunin exams, I was matched up against Neji. I was nervous, and I didn't think I had a chance to win. I had challenged him in front of everyone, and so much was at stake. I didn't know what to do, so I went to the training grounds to try to center myself." Naruto paused, and Dorothea wondered why he was doing that.

"Hinata Chan was there, and I was relieved to see that she was all right. We talked, and I voiced my own insecurities and fears. She didn't say anything but listened patiently to what I had to say and told me words that have been ingrained in my soul." Naruto was about to reveal something deep and personal, but Dorothea said nothing, wanting to hear this tale to its conclusion.

"She told me that I never gave up, no matter how hard things got or how hopeless they seemed. When I failed, I got up and tried again. She told me that she wanted to live by my example. Unlike everyone else who would have berated me and said that I didn't have a chance against her cousin, she told me that I was a proud failure in that I don't let anything get me down. It clicked at that moment that her and that girl that I saved were the same person, and I wanted to kick myself for not realizing it sooner. I felt terrible, too, because why was I trying to impress Sakura when this girl in front of me, the whole time, was the girl that I saved?" Naruto said, and Dorothea couldn't believe that Naruto couldn't see what was obvious.

"Without her encouragement, I would have lost against Neji. She gave me the confidence that I needed. Of course, I couldn't approach her because of that damn father of hers. After that day, I spent whatever time I could with her. My feelings grew, and every time I wanted to tell her I liked her more than a friend, I got cold feet. Someone pure like her is far beyond my league, and her family would never allow it, one of the worst fears I've ever had was that the exchange program would separate us. I was relieved when I was accepted. I don't think I would even have the courage to approach her if it weren't for you and Ingrid Chan." Naruto finished his story, and it all made sense. Listening to Naruto's tale about how he and Hinata met. She couldn't help though at this moment of feeling guilty part of her was jealous of Hinata. Why was she feeling this way?

"I've never heard a man talk about the woman they love the way you do about Hinaa, Naru. You do love her, I know you do, and I think you know it too. You're just afraid to say it." Dorothea said, and Naruto tensed.

"Why does love have to be so complicated?" Naruto asked, then he realized what he had said out loud.

"Naru, there's nothing wrong with your feelings."Dorothea said reassuringly.

"Love, why does it have to be so hard to say it? Why can't I just tell Hinata Chan I love her?" Naruto asked Dorothea.

"The first thing you can do, Naru, is admit it out loud that you love her. That's the first step," Dorothea said.

Naruto struggled to get the words out, a lifetime of abuse and neglect making it difficult for his to express his feelings due to his own abusive upbringing she couldn't help but think of her own upbringing and then disregard the thought as soon as it entered her mind. She didn't want to think about, especially the night her mother was murdered by a wolf-masked man.

"I love her. I want to make her happy, but I want to be something special. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it," Naruto admitted. Dorothea couldn't help but find Naruto endearing the more she spent time with him. No, she could not even entertain that thought.

"It doesn't have to be anything special; just tell her how you feel," Dorothea said. Naruto looked away.

"But I want it to be romantic. I want a spot where I feel confident, where I won't be afraid to reveal what's in my soul," Naruto said. Dorothea knew of a spot she thought of—the Goddess Tower. She had heard legends about the place, that if you were to voice your desire with someone you love, your desires would come true. She didn't know if there was any truth to those legends.

"I know of a place. Have you ever heard of the Goddess Tower?" Dorothea asked.

"Claude has told me about it. He says if you are with someone and you voice your desires, they will come true," Naruto said. Dorothea couldn't help but feel some jealousy, even though it wasn't fair to Hinata for her to feel it. She was afraid of traveling with Naruto to the Goddess Tower. Her heart—it would be difficult for her to control her desire for him as it was growing in the coming months. She feared she would do something she would regret later if she went with him.

"Trust me, if you were to reveal your feelings there, everything would work out. I know it would," said Dorothea with confidence. She knew Hinata felt the same way, so she had nothing to worry about. But going there with him? She felt like—no, she could not entertain that idea at all.

"Thank you, Dorothea-chan. You're a great friend, I mean." Naruto turned away, hiding the red on his face. She was glad he did that; at that moment, he did not see her clenching her heart, the pain that she was suffering. Why was she feeling this way? Why did she have to fall for this man when he belongs to another?


She thought about that memory as she recognized her feelings. Ingrid noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"I know; I feel it too," Ingrid said. They both watched as Naruto and Hinata made their way to the Goddess Tower, the one place where Naruto would feel comfortable revealing his feelings for Hinata. Dorothea never imagined she would fall in love again after what had happened with Ingrid. She cursed herself for getting too attached to both of them—Naruto, with his friendly smile and endearing personality, had a way of attracting and inspiring those around him. Dorothea felt inspired when she first met him, and she couldn't imagine where she would be if she hadn't crossed paths with Naruto.

Part of her felt horrible; she felt jealous of Hinata. It wasn't fair, especially considering how much Hinata had been through, but she couldn't help it. Even though she did share feelings for Hinata, it felt different, and she couldn't explain it to anyone.

"We have to support them, no matter what, Dorothea. No matter how painful it may be," Ingrid said. Deep down, Dorothea knew she was right, but it didn't hurt any less.

"Do you mind if I come to your quarters tonight, Ingrid?" Dorothea asked, hoping she would say yes. She didn't want to be alone tonight.

"I would like that; I don't want to be alone either," Ingrid admitted. The two women left the table, not wanting anyone to notice what was going through their minds.


Hinata was wondering where Naruto was taking her. They were traveling in silence; he was taking her to a part of the monastery she had not seen. When Naruto stopped, Hinata couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was this what she thought she was seeing? She had read about it in Konoha—the Goddess Tower. They continued to walk a bit further until Hinata saw the balcony. She looked at the sunset; it was beautiful. She had heard much about the Goddess Tower: if a promise was made, it would be fulfilled. Hinata was wondering what Naruto was thinking. Why was he taking her here, of all places?

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Naruto asked as they looked at the sunset.

"It is," Hinata replied.

"Do you know the legends of this place, Hinata Hime?" Naruto asked her.

"I've heard many. One legend says if you make a promise to someone, it will come true. If you told someone how you felt about them, it would reveal their real feelings," Hinata answered.

Naruto turned around, facing her. He placed his right hand on her cheek. The look in his eyes indicated he wanted to tell her something.

"Do you remember the day we met?" Naruto asked her.

She thought about it—the day Naruto protected her from bullies when he didn't have to. That small act of kindness made her want to know more about him. When she heard that he was a demon, she didn't believe it, even before she saw him. Her feelings only grew stronger when she saw him in the academy. Her crush and admiration transformed over time; before she knew it, she had fallen in love with him. She had thought about this for so long. It was as if the dream she had dreamed about for years was now coming true.

She wondered why he was asking her this now.

"You know, before I knew the girl I protected that day was you, I wondered whatever happened to her. I thought about her a lot. I feel like an asshole for saying this; I thought you were weird, and I did not know you and that girl were one and the same," Naruto said, ashamed of what he thought about her when they were at the academy. Hinata did not hold that against him. She had been forbidden to speak to him, to even approach him.

"At the academy, do you remember the rumors of Sasuke liking girls with long hair?" Naruto asked. Hinata was wondering what this had to do with anything.

"Yes, as a result, I kept my hair short because I didn't want to be associated with the fangirls," Hinata remarked, remembering how annoyed she was every time she heard Sakura and all of the other fangirls talk about Sasuke.

"Those rumors were made up by me," Naruto confessed, which caused Hinata to look at him with surprise.

"I never knew," Hinata said, not knowing how to put it into words.

"As time passed, I still wondered who that girl was, not knowing it was you. I've looked for her from time to time. He was irrational, having these feelings for her. I couldn't explain it; it is difficult to put into words." Naruto paused.

"Do you remember the day Mercedes San appeared before us for the first time when she came to give Sasuke his lunch that she made for him?" Naruto asked, Hinata remembering that memory vividly of the friend that she had made five years her senior.

"I remembered that day vividly. Sasuke-san blushed so red that he covered his face. The fangirls were angry and accused Merce-chan of stealing their man from them, even though she was 16," Hinata said, smiling at the memory of how she first met her friend.

"She was so nice even back then," Naruto said nostalgically, but then realized he had to get to the point.

"During the Chunin exams, I learned something that made me feel like an idiot the whole time and didn't realize the girl that I saved that day and you were the same person." Naruto had a look of shame on his face, like he screwed up big time.

"I remember that time," Hinata said, wondering where Naruto was getting at. She felt Naruto's hand tighten on her; he was looking her in the eye.

"When I made a promise to defeat Neji after he defeated you, I felt pressure like I never felt before. I questioned, can I really do this? Before I faced him, I was scared; I didn't think I had a chance to win. I don't think I would have if it had not been for your encouragement. Do you remember your words to me that day?" Naruto asked. Hinata could never forget that day—the proud failure speech, the words of encouragement that helped Naruto.

"I remember them vividly. Mercie Chan gave me the same kind of encouragement after I lost against Neji. It was only right that I give that same encouragement to you." Hinata said, remembering Naruto's blushing face after she had offered her words of encouragement.

"Those words mean a lot to me, and they still do. You want to know what's funny?" Naruto asked. Hinata decided to say nothing and let Naruto finish.

"After you gave me those words of encouragement, it pieced together at that moment that you and that girl were one and the same, and I wanted to kick myself. I felt like an idiot ever chasing after Sakura. You believed in me when no one else did. I felt like an idiot. Why did I waste my time with that banshee when the girl who believed in me was right there the whole time?" Naruto said, something that Hinata did not expect to hear.

"Everything changed after that day. I wanted to get to know you. I wanted to know everything I could about you, but it wasn't possible because of your father. The only time I could do anything was when we were on missions. Our time together was limited, and when we did have a chance to spend time together as friends, I didn't want to ask you to spar with me too often because that's not what you were interested in. I just wanted to get to know you. Being in your presence, even if you said nothing, was enough for me." Hinata did not know Naruto felt this way; the look in his eyes—it couldn't have been.

"I didn't understand my feelings myself in the years that followed. I was drawn to you more. I felt things that I didn't feel for anyone. It drove me crazy seeing you with other guys outside of your team. It made me so jealous that I wanted to…" He didn't finish; she knew what he implied.

"These feelings—I felt them for a long time, possibly as long as that moment we met 10 years ago. It's ridiculous I didn't understand these feelings until Dorothea Chan explained them to me and helped me understand." Her heart was beating—no, it couldn't be. She was dreaming; it had to be a dream.

"I don't fully understand them. I don't think I do even now, but these feelings—if I could put them into words—you're precious to me, Hinata-chan. I don't know if I'm worthy of you. I feel like you're too good for me. I…" He was struggling to get the words out.

"I…" he tried again. It couldn't be. Hinata thought it was too good to be true.

Instead of words, Naruto kissed her. The passion she felt on his lips was nothing like the previous times. There was love and tenderness unlike the previous times; she felt tears fall. She was happy—insanely happy. She knew what Naruto said without him saying it; she didn't need to hear him say it because she already knew. When they pulled away.

"I love you, Hinata Hime," Naruto said. Hinata smiled; it was the happiest she ever felt at that moment—first her victory in the mock battle, and now a confession from her boyfriend.

"I love you too; I always have," Hinata replied. This time, Hinata was the one who kissed Naruto. Their passion was more intense than it was the first time. She felt his hand on her waist, her back pressed against the wall. No, she couldn't let their passions take over in the Goddess Tower, not with someone potentially walking in on them.

"Naruto-kun, we should take this to your quarters," Hinata said as Naruto kissed her neck. She desired him.

"We have a class tomorrow, you know," Naruto said teasingly.

"To hell with it! I'll make an exception today, my love," Hinata replied as Naruto lifted her bridal style. She leaned on his shoulder, wrapping both of her arms around him like a bride with her husband. Tonight was going to be special indeed, she thought.


Hito had just seen Hinata and Naruto leave when she walked into the center of the room. She looked around, unable to help but marvel at the architecture and the power of this place. It was sacred to her and held a lot of meaning. She closed her eyes, recalling her memories from her time in the monastery during her youth—those were the happiest moments of her life. It was on this very spot where the man she loved had asked for her hand in marriage. She glanced at her right hand, where the wedding ring he had given her still rested. Even after being forced to leave him, she never got rid of it. She wasn't able to wear it openly with her second husband until after she escaped from him, and since then, she had never taken it off.

The ring on her finger was made of silver and bore the symbol of a blue lion. It was one of the few mementos she had of her love, the father of her children.

She looked at the balcony where they had confessed their feelings for each other. So many memories flooded her mind. Why did she come here? Why did she torture herself?

"Because forgetting my lion is something I can never do. I'd rather be in pain remembering the happy times than forget them," she said out loud. Ensuring the coast was clear, she moved toward the secret entrance to the abyss. She could not let anyone know where she was, as it would endanger her twins. Once she was safely away, she took off her hood. Her hair fell to her shoulders; even in her early forties, she was still considered beautiful by those who saw her, but she didn't care about such things.

She spotted her son Abban, who was happy to see her.

"You didn't give Sonia-chan too much trouble, did you, Abban-kun?" Hito asked.

"No, I was kind of bored, though; all she did was read the whole time," Abban replied, sounding bored.

Abban was tall for his age; he was almost half her height. He had lavender eyes and short blonde hair and was nearly a spitting image of his father, minus the eye color.

"Mother, when will we be able to go to the surface?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling longingly.

She had no idea how to answer his question. She didn't see the surface as a safe place, but she knew she couldn't keep him here indefinitely. How could she, especially when he resembled his late father? His political enemies would jump at the opportunity if they found out another child of his was living around.

"I wish I could answer that," she admitted, and he understood her sadness without needing additional words.

"You're thinking of Papa again," the boy said. He was so much like his father.

"Yes, I was. I miss him," she admitted.

"I wish I would have had the chance to know him," her son said. How much could she reveal about her late husband? It was difficult to think about him without breaking down. It had been five years since his death. She had to push her emotions aside; their son would sense her feelings.

"Do you think you could start reading the story of the warrior queen Freya?" Abban asked. A sad smile came to her face as she thought about Freya, the warrior queen.

She sat down on her son's bed and began to read the first few chapters of Freya's life story. She had read it many times, but it was her son's favorite tale and hers as well. It was one of the few things they could bond over. For now, she put aside her pain and spent time with her son.


Sonia was deeply engrossed in her book, so much so that she didn't notice the footsteps approaching in the room. She was captivated by the story of the queen who was never crowned and didn't realize that Dimitri was observing her with curiosity. When she finally sensed his presence, she felt foolish, set her book down, and blushed in embarrassment at having made such a ridiculous mistake.

"Sorry, I didn't even know you were here," Sonia said, feeling awkward.

"I must apologize as well for not making my presence known," Dimitri replied, turning away in an attempt to hide his own awkwardness.

"It's an interesting time for you to visit. Is there a reason you're here at this hour?" she asked, wondering what had brought him here in the evening.

"I was free and curious about what you were reading," Dimitri answered. Sonia gestured for him to sit down. Once he did, she handed him the book. He examined it with intrigue.

"The Queen That Was Never Crowned? I keep hearing about her. Who was she?" Dimitri asked as he skimmed through the book's contents. He had heard of the queen of Faerghus her whole life—a woman who was beloved by the people. She actively listened to the common folk's problems, no matter how small, and was known for ruling in their favor.

She remained popular among the commoners; even today, whenever he heard her name mentioned, it was often with a sense of nostalgia. More often than not, reports of disputes between her and the nobility led her to wonder if that could be the reason she was exiled 18 years ago.

He had tried to ask his father about this woman, but his father always changed the subject.

"What do you think this woman was like?" Sonia asked, looking as though she had read the book multiple times.

"I don't know. The only thing I can think of is what I've heard from people who met her. They said she was kind and saintly. Some even thought she was a goddess, others believed she was the second coming of Freya. But I can't be sure if those accounts were exaggerations since I never met her," Dimitri admitted.

"I've read multiple sources and cross-referenced them. The only woman who matches the description of the Queen Who Was Never Crowned is Hitomi Hyuga. Her hair was long and blue, her eyes were lavender, her voice was soft, and she had fair skin," Sonia paused, causing Dimitri to wonder why she stopped.

"I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. We haven't spoken since that one day almost a week ago. I tend to talk a lot once I get going," Sonia said, looking away in embarrassment.

"I was wondering, Sonia, where would you like to go the next time I have a free day?" Dimitri asked, surprising Sonia that he wanted to spend time with her.

"Are you sure you want to spend time with someone like me when there are others you could choose from?" she asked, curious.

"I don't know; I see that you could use a friend," Dimitri replied, fumbling with his words as though he was searching for an excuse to spend time with her.

"Sure, it isn't too much trouble. I would like to see the outside world. Would you do that for me, Dimitri?" Sonia asked.

"Of course! How about we meet at the cathedral in a few days? Does that sound good?" Dimitri suggested.

"I have nothing planned for that day, so I'll meet you at the cathedral. I don't want to disturb your rest since we have a class tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to be responsible for you falling asleep," Sonia said, which made Dimitri laugh, knowing that was a possibility.

"I'll see you on Sunday, Sonia, at 10:00 a.m.," Dimitri said as he excused himself.

Outside the monastery, Sonia felt sure that Sitri would be pleased to be out for a day. It would be nice to get outside, even if it was only a few days before she saw Dimitri again. She pushed aside her thoughts and resumed reading her book about the queen who was never crowned.


Naruto wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. She was asleep in his arms. It was an amazing night. Naruto thought after they made love. Hinata leaned on his chest. He was playing with her hair. He couldn't help but think about how amazing this day was. Despite his class losing, he told his girlfriend he loved her, and it was perfect. But he couldn't help but feel like he wanted more. The sad look on Ingrid's and Dorothea's faces. They tried to hide it, but he was able to see it even for a second. He didn't know what to do on how to make them happy. He didn't know how to approach it. He knew it had something to do with him, but he didn't want to bring it up. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with them or his relationship with her, not to if she doesn't approve of the idea of sharing him.

"You should tread carefully, kit. You already have a mate. Don't you think having two more would be a little greedy? Didn't she get pissy earlier about the very idea of having multiple mates? What has changed?" Kyūbi asked Naruto. He was grateful that nobody can hear him but Naruto.

"The way Dorothea Chan looked when I asked if I could be alone. If I could borrow Hinata Hime for a while, I know that look on her face. I may be an idiot, until recently, I didn't know anything about love. Until Dorothea Chan helped me understand my own feelings. Ingrid had the same look as well. I don't know what to do. I don't think it's fair for them not to be happy." Naruto said.

"What if they desire your happiness and Hinata's? What if that was more important than their own? Would you dishonor that?" he asked Naruto, having him seriously consider what he was thinking.

"I believe it can work. I just haven't figured out why yet." Naruto admitted.

"You do know having one mate is going to be hard, but three, Naruto. Hinata, the woman has loved you since she was 7 years old. You don't get that kind of love often from anyone. She should be enough. Do you really want to risk such a strong bond that you have with her just to add the other two women in it? Think. What you are considering isn't just Hinata who has to agree to it, but the Knight girl and the songstress. You're not going to be able to make it work without all parties willing to share each other." Kyūbi warned. Naruto knew what he was getting himself into. He looked at the sleeping face of Hinata. She had a peaceful smile. He wanted to protect it. He would do anything for it.

"I will find a way. Believe it." Naruto said, determined to find a way, even if it was difficult.

"Before you can even consider such an option how are you going to protect them as you are?" Kyūbi asked him with a serious expression.

"Whatever it takes, I will protect the people who are important to me. Because I have to get stronger. I cannot screw around anymore. Will you help me get stronger, Kyūbi?"Naruto asked respectfully in the most respectful tone he could muster.

"Perhaps I could help you, but you will have to do something for me." Kyūbi said with a serious tone.Naruto wanted to know what his price would be.

"What do you want in return?"Naruto asked hoping it wouldn't be unreasonable.

"Freedom."Kyūbi answered.

"What did you mean by that?" Naruto wanted to know.

"I will explain later. The only thing I will tell you now is that you will have to undo the seal that the Fourth Hokage placed on me, and don't worry; I won't devour you" he joked.

"I will do what you ask, just tell me how" The Fox Spirit was shocked that he would answer without hesitation, but Naruto wasn't called the unpredictable knucklehead ninja for nothing.

"Okay, I will explain to you in a way that even a simple-minded person like you can understand. The seal on my cage - release it - if you do that, he will release all of my power, but obviously I won't give you all of it because you need to train in order to use it. This will give me the freedom at least the most that I can have to be able to have a physical form so I can leave your body whenever I feel like it." Naruto did exactly as he asked. He removed the seal. He felt a huge surge of power.

"I have to rest now, you should too. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow after all." Kyūbi said has he cut his communication with Naruto Naruto couldn't keep his eyes open anymore he closed his eyes and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


Marianne waited to see if the coast was clear, not wanting anyone to see her near her secret lover's quarters. She knocked quietly as to not draw attention. She waited for a few seconds, and when she saw him open the door, she entered his quarters, and she saw him lock the door.

As soon as she heard the click, she felt him wrap his arms around her waist. He leaned in and kissed her like a hungry beast, gently biting her lips. She felt his tongue in her mouth, and she did the same. She had forgotten this feeling of his body against hers. She felt his hands go underneath her uniform. She had forgotten his touch, even from the first time they did it three years ago.

"Would it be all right if I... if we...?" She couldn't get the words out. He put his hands on her waist and then kissed her again, more passionately than before. The lovers in their forbidden passion didn't care about the ramifications.

she was on her back on his bed, he was on top of her and kissed her again. She didn't pay attention as he started to strip her of her clothes; she did the same to him. She knew this wasn't proper for a student or a teacher to be doing, but it didn't matter to her; the world did not exist except for them.

Neither one of them paid attention as they stripped each other of their clothing, bit by bit, until there was nothing but their undergarments. Her professor had a look of lust in his eyes but also affection. Her black undergarments with a taint of light blue made her blush. She was not used to being admired like this by anyone.

No words were needed as he gently rubbed her chest, he pressed them together. She closed her eyes, not being able to imagine how she could feel so good now. She had forgotten what his touch felt like it felt like an eternity. She resisted the urge to moan his name; she was trying not to be loud, but she failed. His words left her lips.

"You don't need to hold back," Byleth said in a soothing tone. She didn't hold back as he continued to massage her chest. He kissed her on the neck and put his fingers through her hair, as if to feel, every part of her he was exploring every part of her body through his hands while pleasing her with his mouth. She felt him undoing the loose straps on her bra, which made it easier for him to remove it and toss it to the other side of the room. Feeling his hands on her bare chest,He wasn't gentle, nor was he rough; it was perfect.

"Byl," Marianne whispered as he continued to massage her. She felt herself getting wet from his mere touch. She couldn't believe what was happening; she felt like she was in heaven. She remembered when they did this for the first time, how amazing it felt. Three years later, his touch felt even better than it did the first time, as he continued to suck her breast. She moaned his name as he continued to massage her. She didn't care about how improper it was for her own teacher to do what he was doing to her. She didn't want it to stop; she wanted him to get rougher.

He bit gently on her right breast, which caused her to moan louder than she normally could. She had forgotten how it felt. They had only done this a handful of times. Back then, they were inexperienced. Most of her peers, if they knew that she was 14 when she lost her virginity, would not believe her because of her faith. What she was doing may not technically be what the church's doctrine condones, but she didn't care. It was as if her voice itself commanded him to be a little rougher. He continued to rub his left hand on her left breast as he bit gently on her right.

"She felt liquid come out and screamed in ecstasy; she had forgotten what this pleasure felt like. She had never done what other women did and pleasured herself due to her upbringing and after her first time with her lover, she had no desire to. She could only imagine how much better things could get from here. She wanted to become one with her lover. As if reading her mind, he removed the last of his undergarments, along with hers. Both of them were completely nude.

She couldn't help but admire his body, perfect, she thought, muscular, and lean in the right areas. Under different circumstances, she would be passing out in embarrassment, but this wasn't normal. These were special circumstances.

"God, you're beautiful, Mari," he said with affection. He kissed her neck and then went down lower and lower. She couldn't believe what was about to happen. He was going to use his mouth on her vagina. They had never done this before. She wasn't prepared as he put his tongue inside her entrance. She put her hands on her mouth. She would have screamed loud enough for everyone to hear her.

She couldn't do it for long as she screamed, "Oh, goddess." Marianne felt as his tongue was going in and out of her insides. Tears were falling. She had never thought aside from having a cock inside of her that it could feel almost as good with her lover's tongue. She grabbed onto the sheets of their bed as he went gradually faster. He spread her legs even more. She didn't want to cum so soon. She wanted to savor this moment. It would go on for 5 more minutes before she couldn't hold on anymore. When she released, she screamed loud enough for the heavens to hear. She didn't care if everyone knew what she was doing with her lover at this moment. To her, nothing else mattered. The world did not exist. Only him and her existed.

He removed his head from her vagina and positioned himself to insert his rod inside of her. He looked at her in the eye with reassurance and love. She had not seen that look in 3 years, but she remembered it well. It was as if 3 years had not passed since they had last done it. The night before they were forced to be separated, the night where they were caught. No, she pushed aside that memory.

He slowly inserted his rod inside of her. The feel of his cock felt better than it did 3 years ago. In some ways, it was even bigger. She didn't even know how that was possible. She never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be with this man again. It felt better than her dreams. He went slow like her. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible. He went gradually faster. She grabbed onto his back as he continued to thrust. She felt her insides tightening on his rod. He was moaning her name.

"Mari," she felt him go faster. She begged him to go faster. It was as if her voice could command him. She didn't care if his cock rearranged her insides. She felt like she died and went to heaven.

"Faster," Marianne commanded. He moved even faster inside of her. Their bodies mashed against each other. The bed rocked hard. She knew she may be tired the next day, but she didn't care. She had wanted this. She needed this. It was as if she had a need that was not being fulfilled until now.

"Harder, faster," Marianne commanded. They switched positions momentarily. The pleasure she was feeling stopped. She was on top. Before they could continue, she undid the braids on her hair. The last of them. She let her hair fall down to her back.

"Beautiful," her lover said. She felt his cock in her once again. She used her hips to move her body to help him thrust his rod in and out. She screamed louder than before. She felt his hands on her hips, helping her move even faster. She didn't care about the sin that she was committing. Nothing mattered. Not her curse. Just her and him. She got lost in the ecstasy as he continued to thrust faster in her womb. There were a lot of thoughts in her mind. She didn't even cared about how dangerous it could be for them. She didn't care if he claimed her right then and now. Her desire for him, her repression of her feelings, the four-year separation. It was as if 3 years of being away from her lover, them both making up for all the time they lost.

She wrapped her legs around him, not wanting him to pull out. All thoughts of rationality were gone, even though she could possibly become pregnant. With this, she didn't care. Nothing mattered—they were both about to reach their limit. He was going to cum, and so was she. He was holding off as long as possible so she could cum with him. She didn't care. She would let the goddess decide if fate would bless her with a child from him. She didn't care about her adopted father's once. She didn't care about anything. Nothing else mattered but Byleth. She felt herself release. She screamed his name. Her lover thrusted deep inside of her womb and did the same. She felt his seed released inside of her womb.

They both breathed heavily. She giggled. She felt amazing. They both lay down on the bed. Her lover took the shade from the bed and covered them both. His fingers wrapped around hers. His eyes held the longing that she remembered after they had made love for the last time 3 years ago when they were forced to depart. What she saw this time was love and affection, even if he didn't understand it.

"I feel like it's been a lifetime since we've done this," Byleth said. She couldn't help but agree. It was 3 years, but to her, it felt longer, much longer. The red thread—she never thought she would meet him again, and here he was. He was holding her. Tears were falling. She didn't want to wake up only to find out none of what she has experienced just now was real. The day that she helped her class win, she didn't want to wake up to find out that wasn't real either. That none of the friends that she had made were real. She felt like this was too good to be true.

"It is real, my Mari. I know it is because I am here with you," he said as he leaned closer to her.

"It was agony being away from you for all that time. I don't ever want to leave your side again," Marianne said as she buried her face on his chest.

"I don't understand these emotions completely, even after all these years. I still don't. Are you still okay with someone like me?" Byleth asked insecurely. He wasn't like this before, but then again, 3 years is a long time. A lot could have happened.

"I love you the way you are, Byl. I don't ever want you to change," Marianne said softly as she felt the exhaustion of the excitement that she had experienced for the day.

"That's how I feel about you. You don't have to change who you are, Mari. You're a gentle soul. You make me feel human. I felt useless without you for the past 3 years. I don't want to be away from you again. Life made no sense after you left. I may not understand these emotions I have for you, but I do understand one thing—I don't want to be apart from you again if you'll have me." Byleth finished as she kissed him. She didn't need to hear more. She knew what he was about to say.

"I wish we could be open. I wish I didn't have to hide who we are to each other. I can't see you as a student," Byleth played around with her hair. She would have to tell him what he needed to hear.

"You have to, my love. Nobody would understand the bond that we have. Even if we met 3 years ago, they wouldn't understand. They can't. Well, maybe..." She paused, thinking of Hinata. She would be the one person that would not be judgmental, and Hilda, but that's it. Everybody else would not be as understanding as they are, especially Hinata, because of her experience of being in love.

"I understand. Our moments alone in this room are enough for me for now. Being by your side, even if it's not out in the open, is enough," he said as he closed his eyes. She felt herself unable to keep her eyes open.

"Good night," Marianne said quietly as she fell asleep. For the first time in 3 years, she felt at peace in the arms of the man she loves.