Black Lion Chronicles book 1 redux

by Naruko Hyuga 24

The student exchange program for the inhabitants of the continent of Ninji has chosen nine transfer students from Konoha for the program. Three of these Konoha transfer students will make decisions that will change the fate of two continents rewrite of my original story.

9. Breaking down barriers

A lot of this chapter was rewritten, and I mean a lot. This is the chapter where a divergence between this and the original becomes more apparent. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the story before, but if you have, you already know what I'm talking about. Some scenes had to be completely reworked or outright removed because they no longer worked with the version of the story that I'm currently writing. Characters that were introduced after the last arc in the original are introduced sooner in this version, and characters that were introduced in the second arc were introduced here as well.

This chapter is longer than the original version for sure, due to the amount of new scenes I added. Another major decision I've made—pay attention to the tags—is that a certain pink-haired character transferred to the Black Eagles much sooner than what happened in the original version.

The next chapter will be a rewrite of my favorite chapter in the original version: the shy girl squad. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this rewrite of this chapter, and if you haven't read it before and you're reading this for the first time, I hope you enjoy it as well.

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chapter 8 Breaking down barriers

The golden deer classroom

She was heading towards her class. She made sure to learn who each of the students' teachers were before she chose. The teacher in particular seemed interesting to her Kakashi Hatake, a teacher with a different fighting style. If she could learn from him, she could learn how to fight in a way that's unfamiliar to the Ashen Demon . "Such interesting people that we will be going to school with in this academy" remarked Arval. "It's so frustrating; he is so close, but we are nowhere near a match for him right now." she said in frustration.

"Patience is good; in good time, you have to train and get stronger before we can even consider taking him on. You are not strong enough yet." She didn't need to be told that if she told anyone that she had someone inside of her, they would consider her crazy. 6 months ago, she almost was killed until Arval saved her life at the last minute. She and her having power she never knew she had, but still wasn't enough. Even now, she doesn't know how she can beat him and for what she saw from the likes of Sasuke Uchiha, he was even stronger than she was, and she didn't need to fight him to know.

She knew Hinata would be stronger than her if it weren't for her confidence issues. Naruto was someone that was underestimated by everyone; she felt weak and inadequate. She couldn't even dream of defeating her foe if she didn't have the ability to be one of the people who were weaker than him. She didn't get a chance to indulge in her thoughts when she entered the classroom and met all of the students from the Golden Deer.

"Well, well. I'm a little disappointed that Byleth isn't here, but that mercenary who saved us the other day—she's quite a looker, isn't she?" asked Claude, smiling at Naruto.

"I hate to break it to both of you, but I'm a lesbian. Don't even try that shit with me." She said irritated.

"Don't worry about it. I have a girlfriend so I'm not interested anyway." Naruto said, not taking offense to what she had said.

"So you're that transfer student from another country, aren't you, Naruto Uzumaki?" She asked to confirm what she suspected was true.

"Yeah, but I'm not the only one on my right. There's Shikamaru. We've been friends for a long time. Kinda serious at times, but once you get to know him, he can be pretty chill. And this is his friend, Choji. Don't call him fat, and you'll be cool. And this is Ino." After he had introduced the transfer students from Konoha, she thought the name sounded strange.

"Oh, and don't forget to introduce yourself." Claude encouraged the other golden deers to present themselves.

She has met all the golden deers. She chose her class the day before. She is familiar with most of them.

"I wonder how strong you are. I can't wait to test my muscles against yours," said Raphael, excited to have another strong opponent.

"It's nice to meet you, Shez," Ignatz said politely.

"Hopefully she'll be a good training partner, even though I'm a little disappointed that Byleth isn't in our class. It would have been nice to have the son of Jeralt in our class. Oh well, it's not like I can't still train with him outside of class."Leonie said, Just hearing the name Byleth makes her blood boil, but she have to keep calm. No one in this class has experienced what I have with him, so it's best to stay on friendly terms.

She hopes she can at least be a good sparring partner.

"An interesting person we got here. I'm glad it's another girl. This class has been a little overloaded with men." said Lysithea, the white-haired girl she met the previous day she thought the girl was extremely cute. She liked her she turned away not wanting her to notice her attraction to her.

"Hopefully, she's not as insufferable as that ruffian we have from Konoha." said Lorenz in a condescending manner, something about him rubbing her the wrong way. She didn't like him; she instantly disliked him.

"Man, I wish you weren't so serious! I mean, another girl in our class; it'd be nice to talk about something like clothing or whatever, but I don't think that's something you're interested in. Oh well, Ino and Hinata are there to fill that void. A shame she's not in this class either."Hilda said.

Shez asked her curiously.

"Is Hinata your friend?"asked Shez

"You can say that, though she's more Marianne's friend her than I am. Though I hung out with her from time to time when we're between classes, along with Mercedes and Dorothea."Hilda answered.

Hinata, what she had heard was popular with a lot of the boys and girls in Garreg Mach having a crush on her, even lesbians. They were hoping against hope that she was a bisexual though they wouldn't have a chance because she has a boyfriend.

"I don't know why she has so many admirers. I'm kind of jealous in a way."Hilda admitted in a not so serious tone She wanted to know what drove so many people to Hinata?

"She isn't the only one who has admirers. Dorothea, from what I've heard in my interactions with Black Eagle students, has many admirers." Shez could see why Dorothea was an attractive woman and Hinata was as well, even though neither one of them were really her type.

"Are you okay, Marianne? You look depressed." asked Hilda, concerned about her friend.

"I'm sorry, but I was hoping he'd be here." Marianne said quietly.

"She knew who she was referring to without asking." The girl blushed deeply. Shez rolled her eyes; of course she would have a crush on the Ashen Demon. It was also typical.

"Don't be so downhearted. You can still transfer or request to be on his team on assignment. It's not all doom and gloom." Naruto encouraged. She didn't know why, but something about him made her feel inspired, and she didn't like it.

"I as soon as I find out I will" Marianne said which shocked Hilda.

"You can't be serious Marianne?"Hilda said not understanding why she would transfer.

"It wouldn't be so bad, but I don't even know what class he chose." Marianne said with a discouraged expression.

"Well, we'll know by lunchtime at least." remarked Naruto.

"Okay." Marianne said quietly.

"Yeah, as you can see, the golden deer are kind of a bunch of misfits in a way, but a good kind of misfit if you know what I mean." said Claude relaxedly.

"It should be interesting." She remarked, wondering how the mock battle coming would turn out. There wasn't much time to prepare for it.

What surprised her was there was more students other than herself that entered the class the first was She noticed some boy who had it peculiar hairstyle. His hair was short, he had some strange eyebrows when he she can gather and he looked like he had a lot of energy.

"Who would you be?"asked Claude. curious why another person was going in the Golden Deer.

"I'm here because I want to spread the power of youth. I am Rock Lee and I want to join the Golden Deer because the power of youth is strong here compared to the other classes" a weirdo she thought.

"Brushy brows I was wondering when you would finally show up I mean where have you been the whole time?"Asked Naruto excitedly, obviously they were friends.

"We missed the boat when you left so we are late but we're here now though my other teammates joined the Blue Lions"so more transfers but these ones were late and one of them joined her class interesting she thought..

The next one she noticed was a redhead boy who wore the academy uniform. He had a strange-looking tattoo from a language that she couldn't read. He had an imposing presence.

"Gaara, I can't believe it! It's been too long," Naruto said excitedly as Gaara smiled and shook Naruto's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Naruto. It's an honor to be able to attend the same academy as you," Gaara said. His voice was softer than what she expected from someone of his stature.

"Your father let you leave Sunagakure, but aren't you supposed to be the next Kazekage?" Naruto asked, surprised that Gaara was attending the academy. Shez was not familiar with the politics outside of Fodlan. What she did know about Kages is that they were the leaders of the respective villages on the continent of Ninji, but she didn't know more than basic information about that continent. She would likely learn more as the year progressed and by asking the inhabitants of any of the nations.

"He believes it would be good for me to attend the officer's academy, that it would be a good opportunity for me to learn about other cultures and perspectives in order to be a good leader," Gaara said confidently. He held himself with immense confidence.

"Damn, Naruto, he's hot! Is he single?" asked Hilda jokingly.

"Interesting friend you have," Lorenz said. He was actually impressed with Gaara because of how he presented himself. He seemed like someone of royalty, but not in a way that the inhabitants of Fodlan would typically perceive as royalty.

Then there was another student, a girl taller than most of the girls in the class, with the exception of Leonie. From what she could see, Naruto had an instant dislike for her. She was wearing what was expected at the academy; though the main difference was that she had the sigil of the Hyuga Clan. Her brown hair fell down to her back.

"Hello, I am Hanabi Hyuga, the heir of my clan. I'm a proper representative of my noble status, and I expect to be treated with the respect befitting that of a lord," Hanabi said with condescension.

"Excuse me, but who do you think you are?" Leonie said with anger at the condescension Hanabi was giving out to all the commoner folk in the Golden Deer.

"I would rather deal with Hinata than deal with you," said Lorenz, disgusted by the girl's attitude.

"I'm nothing like that failure," Hanabi said with contempt.

"Don't talk about her like that," Naruto said defensively.

"What will you do about it, dead last?" Hanabi said smugly.

"Why, you—?" Naruto was held back by Claude and Raphael.

"She's not worth it, Naruto," said Raphael.

"Yeah, she's only trying to get a reaction. Don't give her what she wants," Claude pressed.

Then Hanabi looked at Shez. "So, you're the mercenary that I've heard so much about," Hanabi said with interest.

"After the way I've seen you act, I want nothing to do with you. You have to earn my respect, and I have no intention of giving you the time of day," Shez said, not caring if she pissed her off. She had better things to do than deal with spoiled children.

"You want to fight me in the sparring ring? I'll prove just how insignificant you are," Hanabi challenged.

Shez sighed. "After class, if you want to be humbled, sure. But don't come crying to me afterward if I completely humiliate you." Shez said, not caring if she angered the girl. She was about to say more before, thankfully, Kakashi arrived.

"Okay, class, you've been acquainted with our new student's long enough; you know the drill. All of you introduce yourselves like you did before. We do this every time we get a new student." said Kakashi, clearly bored.

"I am Kakashi Hatake, my likes are reading and my dream, which is quite frankly none of your business," she liked him getting straight to the point she hated long introductions but unfortunately they weren't even close to being done.

"I'm Lorenz Hellmann from Gloucester. My likes are poetry, art, and worthy women. What I dislike are coffee, injustice, and people who disgrace their noble status. She thought he was interesting far more than what she first saw on the surface; however, he did still come off as being a condescending ass.

"I'm Raphael Kirsten. My likes are training and eating good food, but I dislike studying."

"She thought on the surface he seemed to be a simple-minded person, but she could see there was much more to him than meets the eye."

"I am Ignatz Victor, and I like painting. I dislike fighting." She wondered why someone like him would be in a place like this. There must be a reason, which she'll probably learn later.

"I'm Lysithea von Ordelia. My likes are sweets and studying to improve myself. My dislikes are people who treat me like I'm a child. She could relate to this. When she first became a mercenary at age 12, she was treated like that.

"I'm Leonie Pinelli. My likes are training and being around my friends. My dislikes are arrogant people and people who don't appreciate what they have."

Shez is more convinced she made the right choice choosing this class. The more she hears these students speak, the more she's looking forward to hearing the ones from Konoha. What they have to say.

"I'm Hilda Valentine Goneril. My hobbies are making beautiful things and designing clothes. My dislikes are doing unnecessary hard work. She seems to be the type of person who can talk others into doing what she doesn't want to do. She seems very persuasive."

"I am Marianne von Edmund; my likes are not very interesting. She didn't say much, but she definitely has issues with her confidence and she didn't particularly like speaking much.

Now she wondered what the house leader would say; she had a feeling he wouldn't reveal much.

"I'm Claude von Riegan. What can I say that everyone else doesn't already know? I love poetry and I love pulling pranks with my partner in crime, Naruto. Everyone laughed. As for my dislikes, I rather not divulge that. Actually, I rather that people not know me for my dislikes." She knew Claude was hiding something. There was a lot that he was hiding. She had a feeling in her gut that Claude was the most interesting Lord to her of the three. And she was most interested in learning what he had hidden underneath the surface.

Now she saw the transfer students from Konoha, the first one to speak being Shikamaru.

"What a drag this is; I might as well get this over with and do this for the third time."

For what she could tell, he was clearly bored, but she could tell like with Claude there was a lot more to him on the surface than what he gave out. "I'm Shikamaru Nara; I'm not really interested in doing anything; I just want to relax and stare at the sky all day; and have an easy life. I dislike doing unnecessary work."

He sat back, lazy; that's what she thought, but she knew there was a lot more to him on the surface than that.

She saw Choji get up and do his own introduction. "I'm Choji Akimichi, well my likes are eating barbecue food and my dislikes are being called fat. Pretty simple, she thought; she wondered what the girl Ino was going to say.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka. I like flowers and dressing up to attract men. My dislikes are ungrateful people." Shez was intrigued by this girl, but she didn't think Ino would be the type to swing both ways.

Then there was the new transfer students she was curious about two of them.

"My name is Rock Lee. My likes are training and spreading the power of youth. My dislikes are those who don't take their training seriously and who believe talent trumps hard work," Lee said enthusiastically. She couldn't help but like this boy, not to mention she agreed with his outlook about hard work being superior to talent. Talent meant nothing if you didn't work hard to refine your skills.

Then there was a second one, the redhead. She wondered what he had to say.

"I am Gaara of the Sand. My likes are reading poetry and training. My dislikes are pointless acts of violence, and my dreams are a world without war." Gaara, which she did not expect from someone of his stature, intrigued her.

The one she didn't care to listen to would be the girl.

"I'm Hanabi Hyuga. I don't have any likes in particular. My dislikes are useless fools that don't know their place. As for my goals, I prefer not to disclose them." Hanabi was exactly what she heard about from her mother regarding how the Hyuga were stuck up and arrogant. She was looking forward to humbling this girl; it'd be so satisfying to see that smug look on her face evaporate when her sense of superiority is gone.

Now the last of them, the blonde-haired boy Naruto Uzumaki, the one she fought alongside with a few days ago. Just who was he? "I am Naruto Uzumaki. As you all know, my favorite food is ramen. Unfortunately, it isn't served here. What I love to do is prepare ramen. I don't like having to wait to prepare the ramen. I like hanging out with my friends and I dislike liars. My goal is to be the Hokage." He definitely was the one she would probably feel the most comfortable with. Her instincts were correct, but something about him.

"You notice it too? Yeah, he has something inside of him that I don't know what it is. I'd be cautious around him." Arval advised.

All the students were looking at her; she felt like she was being put on the spot. "It's your turn," said Kakashi, crossing his arms and waiting for her to tell about herself.

"I'm Shez. I don't really have much to say. My hobbies are training to refine my skills, and I believe integrity is more important than money. My dislikes are dishonest people."

After she was done, Kakashi motioned for her to sit. "Since our new student's isn't caught up with our lessons, I expect all of you to get them up to speed because we're going to have a mock battle tomorrow. Don't forget to be prepared; you don't want to repeat what happened with the Bell Test. Do you?"

Kakashi said, from what she could tell through his mask, was a smile. She didn't like the sound of that.

"That was hell. I never want to do that again. That was insufferable." Lorenz said, horrified by the memory of the Bell Test.

"You only complain because you fell for the most obvious trick in the book" Lysithea said irritated by his complaining about what for her from Shez was an easy test.

"you have no idea how brutal Kakashi sensei's Bell test would have been if you were doing it like it was in konoha could have dropped you from Garreg Mach's program permanently compared to my team you people have it easy"Naruto said irritated by Lorenz Complaining."part of me wishes it was so we would have to deal with this condescending prick all the time" said Leonie."cut the chatter it's time to to start our lesson and for those of you who are here help our new friend begin her up to speed if you don't you know the consequences."she was helped by the students to fill in what she was being taught she was learning the history of the founding of a country called Konoha in a land called the land of fire she would have to ask her classmates what is the purpose of this program when the chance presents itself.

---

The Blue Lions classroom

Sasuke would be lying if he weren't disappointed that Byleth wasn't in their class. He was definitely a talented swordsman and would have been a great person to spar with. Though he did know that he could still spar with others outside of the Blue Lions, such as Petra. He didn't really exchange many words with her because she wasn't interested. He knew Professor Manuela would show up soon and the class would officially begin. He saw his friends that he had made in the Blue Lions: Felix and Annette.

"Looks like Byleth Eisner is not going to be in our class. He would have been here by now if he was," Felix said disappointedly.

"He is definitely a skilled swordsman, far better than I. We'll know one way or another what class he's in. I would definitely like to spar with him when given the opportunity," said Sasuke, excited about the prospect of sparring with him again.

"He completely decimated you, and you want to go for a second round so soon?" asked Felix, curious. Felix didn't mind fighting opponents that were stronger than him, but he didn't like doing it so soon unless he trained thoroughly so he wouldn't get defeated a second time.

"Naruto sparred with me almost daily when we were in the academy, and that didn't stop him, even though I defeated him in every one of our sparring matches," Sasuke said nostalgically. He thought about the one match the year Mercedes was in Konoha when she silently cheered for him. It was the one time he actually cared about winning—not because Naruto was annoying, but because he wanted Mercedes to smile.

No, he had to bury that thought. Stop it, Sasuke thought.

"I heard we're getting new transfer students—more from Konoha and another from the demon country. I wonder who they are?" asked Ashe.

"I'm curious who they are," said Mercedes. Then Ingrid said something that caught everyone's attention.

"Did you hear about the new professor of the Black Eagles?" Ingrid asked.

"Apparently, Byleth Eisner, who is going around the monastery yesterday, was talking to all the students and the leaders in order to find a class to choose and what do you know? He chose the house with some of the most beautiful ladies of the entire monastery. I'm actually jealous because I'm not in the same house as Hinata Hyuga and Dorothea Arnault." Sylvain, with his usual antics when it comes to women, said.

"Oh, you and your skirt-chasing don't you ever stop?" Ingrid said irritated with her childhood friend.

"It's part of my charm; it's not like you have any room to talk, considering how you, Dorothea and Naruto spend your time." Ingrid was blushing deeply at the very mention of Naruto. It was not a secret in the Blue Lion's that she has a crush on him.

Sasuke was able to pick up that Ingrid wasn't the only one who had a crush on him; Dorothea did as well. He didn't want to be in that situation of three women being into the same guy, especially with Hinata being Naruto's girlfriend.

"Here's another rumor, though I've only heard about it this morning, so don't spread this around," said Annette.

"What would that be?" asked Felix, irritated.

"Now, I can't confirm this myself, but I've been hearing a rumor. I think the Black Eagles' new professor has a history with one of the students here, if you catch my meaning," said Annette.

"Well, that's not saying anything. It could be anyone," said Felix.

"If that turned out to be true, that wouldn't be appropriate," said Ashe. Sasuke couldn't help but agree, considering the power dynamic.

"Well, we simply do not know who this person is. If it's even true at all, it could be nothing but baseless rumors for all we know," said Dimitri, not really caring to talk about rumors.

"I have an idea who it might be," said Sylvain.

"I swear, if it's another one of your stupid jokes, I'm going to hit you," said Ingrid, annoyed.

Dimitri wanted to change the subject; he didn't want to talk about this anymore. It was starting to get annoying for his taste. He was grateful when he saw 4 new students appear in the class; everyone stopped gossiping as soon as they saw them.

The first among them was a man that was older than most of the students by at least one year he recognized the features on his face and especially his eyes he recalls seen someone like this brown haired man in front of him his hair was down to his back it was tied to a ponytail he wore the traditional uniform of the officers academy and had a bandana on his forehead he didn't need to ask to know who he was.

"It's been a long time Dimitri Sama it is a pleasure to be of your acquaintance once again."said Neji respectfully.

"The pleasure is mine Neji San,"Dimitri said respectfully.

The girl next to him was someone with a strange but peculiar hairstyle she had her hair in a bun he only knows her by her reputation from what he read in Team guy's dossier she was extremely skilled and weapons combat definitely something he would like to see an action in the future and possibly sparring with her due to her unique abilities.

"Who would you be?"asked Felix curious.

"Oh me, I'm the weapons master Tenten at your service. I hope we can get along as the newest members of the Blue Lions. You better not underestimate me if you do. I'll knock you down if you do." Tenten said excitedly as she looked at Felix who is eager to spar with her. She would be an interesting person to have as a sparring partner.

The third one among them was a blonde haired girl that resembled Hinata it was almost Uncanny she wore the uniform of the academy that was expected. Her hair was blonde, down to her back, her skin was pale, her eyes were pale lavender. Her hair is light blond and falls past her waist, which she keeps tied at the end with a bow.

Dimitri couldn't help but see the similarities between the woman's appearance and Hinata's, but he knew they weren't related. It was hard not to see the similarities.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Shion Tugumi. I hope we can all be friends. I never had a chance to go to a school like this." Shion said politely to everyone.

"Shion, I thought you were a Hyuga for a second there," said Sylvain, who admired Shion's appearance.

"Though my ancestors do come from the clan, I'm not a Hyuga. I have been often mistaken for one, much to my annoyance," the woman said with a polite smile.

"You wouldn't be friends with Naruto Uzumaki by any chance, would you?" Shion asked Dimitri.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Dimitri replied. The woman looked at him, then turned her gaze to Ingrid.

"You wouldn't be Ingrid by any chance, would you?" Shion walked towards her as if to see if she was indeed who she thought she was looking at.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Ingrid responded. The woman closed her eyes, and before Dimitri knew it, they opened again.

"You will be sharing a man and his woman with one other woman, and your Fates will be tied to each other," Shion said. Ingrid looked uncomfortable.

"What are you talking about?" Ingrid asked.

"You'll find out in time. In fact, you may have already met him, and you don't know it. A critical point will come soon, and you will have to make a decision for yourself; otherwise, disaster will strike at those you love," Shion explained. When she was done, she almost collapsed, but luckily for her, she was caught by Sylvain.

"You should be careful. I don't know what abilities you have, but they look like they drain you," Sylvain said with concern. The blonde-haired woman smiled sadly at him.

"It's fine," she said weakly. "I just need to sit down. Do you think you can help me, Sylvan-san?" the woman asked him.

"Of course," he replied, leading her to the nearest desk. He sat next to her, and Dimitri couldn't help but notice that Sylvain looked pleased.

Then there was the last of them, a pale-skinned man in front of him. He had short black hair and black eyes. He smiled politely at the class.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Sai. I hope we can be friends," the man said. Dimitri did not know why something about him seemed fake; he couldn't put his finger on why that was. His smile didn't seem genuine, or he could just be imagining things.

"Wow, our class is really popular right now," said Annette, happy to have more people to talk to. Then he looked at Sasuke.

"So you are the Uchiha that I hear so much about. Shorter than I imagined," Sai said observingly as he looked at Sasuke.

"I'm surprised you didn't choose the Black Eagles. You would have been right at home, especially with Hubert," Sasuke said, not liking the way he was eyeing Mercedes.

"Is Mercedes your woman?" he asked him, which caused Mercedes' cheeks to turn pink at the mention of being Sasuke's partner.

"Whether she is or not is none of your business," Sasuke said, getting confrontational.

"No need to get worked up, Sasuke-kun. I don't think he means anything by it," Mercedes said, trying to diffuse the situation. From what Dimitri saw, there was jealousy on Sasuke's face, but it vanished as soon as it appeared.

"I'm sorry, Mercie, I overreacted."Sasuke said as he turned away, not being able to face her. He sat at the table where he and Mercedes usually sit together. He was alone for the moment but he wouldn't be when class started.

He glanced at Neji, who was conversing with Mercedes.

---

She had no idea what she was going to say to Neji. He was cruel to her when they met five years ago. She knew five years had passed, and from what Hinata had told her, he had changed. She was willing to give him a chance, considering his circumstances.

"I would like to apologize, Mercedes-san, for how I treated you when you were in Konoha. It was wrong of me to be cruel like I was," Neji said, remorseful for what he had said to her when she was in the village.

"I don't hold it against you, Neji. The kind of life that you were forced to live is cruel. I can't imagine living the way you do. I don't blame you, and if Hina can forgive you, then so can I," Mercedes said, smiling at Hinata's cousin.

"I do not deserve your kindness or forgiveness," Neji said.

"It's forgiven, Neji. I'd rather move past what happened back then." Neji was reluctant but relented.

"I can see why Uchiha-san thinks highly of you; in fact, I think you're a little too good for him," Neji said jokingly, which caused Sasuke to have a jealous look.

"Do you want to say that to my face?" Sasuke said, with barely controlled anger.

"He doesn't mean anything by it, Sasuke-kun," Mercedes said, trying to diffuse the situation. As soon as she reassured him, the anger diffused. She didn't notice the amused look on Neji's face.

That was the second time, and not two minutes later, Sasuke had shown jealousy whenever anyone showed even a remote interest in Mercedes. Neji couldn't be fooled; his eyes could detect emotions even beneath the surface. Whatever Sasuke's feelings were towards this woman, they ran deep.

"Do you know him, Mercie?" asked Annette.

"We met five years ago, though not in the best circumstances. I can't say she's my friend, but that doesn't mean I can't start to be, especially if we're going to be in the same class together, Annette-san," said Neji respectfully.

"Aren't you the prodigy of the Year 1174?" asked Felix, interested.

"Word gets around, yes, but treat me like every other student. I wouldn't want to be treated any other way," Neji said respectfully.

"I would like to spar with you, whatever the opportunity arises," said Dimitri, eager to test his skill against Neji's gentle fist.

"It would be an honor to be a sparring partner with you, Dimitri-sama," Neji replied.

Before any further conversation could be had, Professor Manuela appeared.

"You've all met the new students; it's time to get to your assigned seats. Remember, assist your new classmates, or grades will be deducted," Manuela said authoritatively. Neji knew better than to anger his professor. He sat next to Tenten in the back and couldn't help but see, in the corner of Sasuke's eyes, the way he was looking at Mercedes. His feelings for her had not changed. Neji was curious to see how this development would play out, but for now, he wanted to focus on his class assignment for the day and the preparation for the mock battle.

---

Felix wasn't imagining things, and neither was Annette.

"Am I imagining things, or..." Annette couldn't come up with the words about the tension between Sasuke and Mercedes. It was obvious there were growing feelings between the two, especially to Annette. Every time she asked Mercedes about it, she would change the subject. Annette knew they departed five years ago, and when she saw Sasuke again, the way she looked at him changed.

After Mercedes obtained permanent residence in eastern Faerghus, she enrolled in the Academy of Sorcery. Annette had heard on multiple occasions about a boy whom Mercedes had befriended, someone she regarded as a little brother. However, from what Annette currently observed between them, it seemed to be something entirely different, and it was starting to become more obvious.

"That look in her eyes—I'm not imagining it. I know Mercie; she never acted this way towards anyone else, not the way she does with Sasuke. It's as if..." Annette couldn't finish her thought.

"Whatever she feels for him is none of our business, Annette. Those two are adults; they can take care of themselves," Felix replied, not wanting to discuss Mercedes' feelings for Sasuke and how they've grown beyond friendship. It was subtle, the way she laughed and smiled around him, especially when she leaned on his shoulder the previous day.

"Yeah, but I'm worried. I've never seen Mercie act this way towards anyone. Is there anything we can do to help them?" Annette pressed.

"As I said, they're grown adults. Let them handle their own affairs like adults. We would only make things worse for them if we interfere," Felix stated firmly, not wanting to continue the conversation. Annette sighed.

"Now, if they come to either of us for advice, that's a different story. But that's the extent to which we should get involved. They need to resolve their feelings themselves," he concluded, not completely dismissing the idea of helping them. Annette looked at her friend, who was with Sasuke, and desperately wanted to assist them. As much as she wanted to disagree with Felix, he wasn't wrong, which made it all the more difficult to watch her friends struggle.

---

Mercedes noticed that something was on Sasuke's mind. "Sasuke Kun, do you have something on your mind?" Mercedes asked him.

"Yeah, I was just wondering about the founding of the monastery. There's so much that doesn't add up. I look up so many references from one date to another, and a lot of it doesn't match up. I don't know which one is real and which one is fake." She understood his confusion. "A lot had been lost in that era, so some dates don't exactly match up because the history of that period is difficult to come by, due to a lot of the books and libraries being burned in the wars that happened," she explained to Sasuke, knowing that this wouldn't be something he would know since he doesn't live in this land.

"That makes sense, actually. I mean, there are some things in my home continent that are inconsistent; things get lost in war." She thought that was tragic, and she knew he did too. She didn't know why. "The Sage of Six Paths existed at that time, the same time the King of Liberation was waging war, so much of our histories line up. Is it possible that the goddess and the Sage of Six Paths both existed?" Mercedes asked Sasuke.

"It's not possible for the Sage of Six Paths not to exist. Many of the Jutsu exist because of him. There's a lot of historical records that prove that he existed, though some of his feats may be exaggerated. I believe he existed. If he existed, there's no reason to believe the goddess Sothis did not exist either. They both did; the question is, did they ever meet at any point?" That was a question that Mercedes had been thinking about ever since she learned of the Sage of Six Paths six years ago.

"So many unanswered questions from a thousand years ago; so much history, a lot of it gone," Sasuke said, frustrated with the lack of information. They were both in deep thought. Class was almost over.

"I tried to line up our histories from the time of Hagoromo and his sons, Asura and Indra, along with the war of liberation. Nothing seems to add up. I've been reading about this for the past six years, and I feel like I know even less since I started reading about this history," Sasuke said, frustrated with his lack of progress.

"I think it's possible; though I can't prove this, they fought with Seiros against Nemesis, and..." Mercedes hesitated, not knowing how Sasuke would take this, considering how nobody would believe her. But she felt like there was a deep secret that had been hidden. "I believe Kaguya Otsutsuki was the cause of the Great War a thousand years ago, which required people from all over the world to take up arms against her. There's no proof, so I can't say for sure it happened, but something tells me she existed." Mercedes paused, not knowing what else to say.

"We should continue this conversation in private, out of the earshot of our classmates," Sasuke said, knowing what she was thinking.

"Of course," they said nothing as the class ended and lunch began.

---

Byleth was on his way to his first day as the professor of the Black Eagles; he was confident in this choice. He had no idea how he was going to teach. He studied the subject that he was going to teach. He was going to teach the class that the Sage of Six Paths was a subject that he had no knowledge about. Then there was the other matter: of Marianne the girl that he was reunited with yesterday. It was difficult for him to concentrate because how close she was yet so far.

"Careful now lover boy you don't want your students to know that you're a love sick puppy do you?" Byleth turned around, wondering where the voice came from.

"Have you forgotten about me?" asked Sothis, irritated that he forgot about her.

"I'm sorry. You just scared the shit out of me." he confessed. She laughed as if she found that funny.

"Well hearing you thinking about her to the extent that you have has made it pretty obvious how lovesick you are and have been for the past 3 years."Sothis said teasingly.

"Lovesick, what are you talking about?"he said, trying to keep his composure.

"I swear it's amazing she fell for you then again I guess that's one thing you have in common with Naruto."'Sothis said which caused him to get really irritated being compared to others.

"Me and Naruto are nothing alike." Byleth said defensively.

"Yes you are you have women that love you and both of you likely don't understand the feelings of love and what they are and you both have a spirit inside of you that's what you both have in common." Sothis said refuting what Byleth had said earlier.He wondered what she was talking about. He noticed Naruto had something inside of him, whether he was aware of it or not, remained to be seen. But the person that really concerned him was the purple-haired girl. She had an intense hatred for him, and he didn't know why. What did he do?

"Keep an eye on that one. She gives me a very bad feeling. I don't think it's the girl herself, but something inside of her makes me feel uneasy. Be on your guard when you're around her." Sothis advised. He was close to the entrance of his classroom. This is where he would be for the next year or so. He took a deep breath.

---

The Black Eagles classroom

Edelgard was nervous; she hoped her gambit would pay off. Byleth was not someone she wanted as a potential enemy in the future, she heard from Jeritza about the whereabouts of Monica. Her location would be revealed soon. She knew it was only a matter of time. She knew it would be a big risk saving Monica, but she felt it would be worth it in the long run. She didn't want to lose her; she had lost too much already. It would be the practical thing to do to write her off already, but she couldn't do that. If there was even a small chance she wanted to take it, but she couldn't take action unless she knew for sure that all the cards were in her favor and she had plausible deniability from those she was allied with.

Her fellow classmates were waiting for their new classmate, but they didn't know it would be a professor who would show up somehow.

"You know I'm really nervous," remarked Bernadetta.

"I highly doubt our new classmate will be scary. I think he'll be a handsome man well he will not be as handsome as Naru," said Dorothea playfully.

"You say that about everyone," remarked Petra.

"I don't think we're getting a classmate; I think we're getting a new professor," remarked Shino. Edelgard knew he was one of the most perceptive of the students in Konoha.

"Yeah right, Shino! We're really going to get a new professor. Get real." said Kiba.

"Then where is our supposedly new classmate, what happened to our professor? He obviously got dismissed, and a new professor will come at any time. In fact, I would argue we met him yesterday." Shino said what he thought was obvious.

"I have to agree with Shino. I mean, if we had a new student, where are they? Our new professor is likely going to be one of the people that will be going through that door any moment now," Sakura said as she finished. Byleth entered the classroom. She was relieved that he had chosen her class. She had barely slept, and she felt a huge weight fall from her shoulders.

"Wait, he's our new professor?" asked Hinata, surprised that someone not much older than they are is the professor of their class.

"He doesn't look that much older than I am." remarked Caspar.

He was the last person I was expecting to be the new professor." said Sakura, shocked to see someone not that much older than they were being their professor.

"Interesting turn of events" said Hubert.

"Oh, I don't care as long as I can nap" Linhardt said lazily.

"Well, he doesn't seem very scary," Bernadetta said as she hid behind Hinata, as if relying on her to protect her.

"Don't worry, Bernadetta San, he won't hurt you," Hinata said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I can't picture him doing anything like that. Though, I'm not going to lie, he's easy on the eyes," Dorothea said, happy that he was their professor.

"I'm wondering what he can do. Hopefully, he's not like our last professor; he was awful. We barely learned anything under that fool," Sakura said, not showing any respect towards their previous professor.

"You and I for once agree on something," Hinata said reluctantly, but it was true, and everyone knew it.

"I must say it most be interesting to spar with you," Petra said, struggling to get the words right because of her difficulty with the language of Fodlan.

"I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how he teaches us," remarked Ferdinand.

"Such an interesting turn of events, I wonder how good you are at teaching Byleth sensei," said Shino.

"You should call him 'professor' because we're not in Konoha." Kiba said annoyed.

"It means the same thing; it makes no difference." He said rolling his eyes.

"This class could be a handful; I know, but I have faith that you can train all of us to be stronger and be the best that we can be. Thank you for choosing the Black Eagles; Professor Byleth." Edelgard said thankful that he chose her class.

"I have no experience teaching, so my teaching methods may be unorthodox and may not what you're used to. Know that I will do everything in my power to bring out all of your potential. I will hold you all to a high standard because I believe all of you can be better than you are."

He looked at Hinata, Sakura and Bernadetta, Edelgard had a strong feeling that things would change with him as the professor. Students who were struggling with their grades would do better.

"So how are you going to teach us? You've only just met us all, and yet here we are, in this very room. There's no way you have read the curriculum. How are you going to properly teach us?"

Kiba said irritated with their new professor.

"You have volunteered; I will do a demonstration." Everyone was shocked;"We're going to go in the Black eagle training grounds; we will start there."Everyone followed him to the training grounds, which luckily was an empty one at the moment. Edelgard wondered what he was going to do.

"I want you to attack me with everything you have. Attack me as if you're trying to kill me." Everyone looked shocked at what he was saying.

"You're going to regret it." Kiba said with overblown confidence. It was a foregone conclusion that he was going to lose and he was going to be humiliated. He was going to point out every single opening and weakness that he was exposing in his fighting style. In the strange fighting style that she wasn't familiar with, he saw him attack him. The new professor calmly blocked every single attack, which only frustrated him more; he didn't even do anything, and before anyone knew it, it was over.

"Your first mistake was underestimating me. Do you know what your second was?" he asked, scolding him.

"I don't know," Kiba said.

"I won't bore you with the details of every mistake, but your second one was attacking me without a plan. If this were a real battle, you would have been instantly killed. This is not a joke, and I know you've had prior training. You leave a lot of openings; an amateur mistake for someone of your skills. What you need to work on are your defense and" Everyone was waiting for him to say the third thing.

"You will learn to respect me." Edelgard was smiling; this was the kind of person who commands respect and earns it.

"I'm sorry, professor Byleth, I will take everything you said to heart." He got up from the ground and went to the others. "Next up is Hinata Hyuga." Hinata looked startled.

---

He was asking her to spar with him. She was put on the spot, but she couldn't back down. She took a deep breath and entered the training area."You can do it, Hinaa!" cheered Dorothea."Do your best!" cheered Bernadetta; she heard others cheering for her as well, especially her teammates from Team 8."Your biggest issue is your confidence," Byleth reminded her. She couldn't disgrace herself not in front of everyone, especially not in front of her friends and Edelgard, who were Black Eagles. She got into her stance.

"Attack me with everything you've got. Don't hold back." Byleth said.

He attacked her first; she defended, blocking his blow, which shocked everyone, including the new professor.

She knocked him back and everyone was shocked; she never showed off her gentle fist like that before. He attacked her again, and she blocked again. People were shocked at how she was able to hold him back.

"Where was this confidence a few days ago?" He asked her curiously. She didn't take the bait; instead, she jumped back and got into her stance to activate her clan's signature technique.

She charged at him with lightning speed "1.8 trigram 64 palms"Hinata said. The stance of her clan signature technique was a sight to behold everyone was surprised at the Elegance of the technique she had never used it against anyone outside of konoha.

The new professor was having a difficult time keeping up with her. She was hitting him almost every single blow, and he looked surprised and shocked at how strong she was and how strong the technique was. She knocked him back.

"That's enough," Byleth said, signaling the end of the lesson.

Everyone looked impressed, including the new professor.

"Now that's more like it. You are more than strong enough to deal with any average bandit. Kill your fear and work on your confidence. And no one will be able to beat you, not even me." The professor smiled. She didn't win this sparring match, but she gained his respect. She saw Edelgard smile. "I never saw the gentle fist; it's quite impressive." Remarked Hubert, who found it interesting. "Wow! What a style! I would love to spar with you sometime." Remarked Caspar. "Oh, this is too much trouble. I'm just going to take a nap." Linhardt said, clearly bored with the whole affair.

"Bernadetta, you're up next." She looked scared. Hinata placed her hand on her shoulder. "You can do it, Bernadetta-chan." She said encouragingly. The reclusive girl reluctantly went towards the arena. "You are clearly talented with a bow. I've seen how you fight in a sparring match; you are fast and you could strike precisely. You are far stronger than you know. All you have to do is hit me once." He was approaching each of them differently. She couldn't see her expression. Bernadetta aimed her bow at Byleth and fired without hesitation. Her arrow hit its mark.

"I think you went a little overboard, Bernie."Dorothea said, obviously happy that she had succeeded.

"Very good! See, I have proven with Hinata and Bernadetta that both of them are talented young women. It's not their skills that are the problem; it's their confidence. Both of you should work on that, and there is nothing in this world that can stop you." She was blushing at his praise, and Dorothea gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, my Hinaa and Bernie! Our professor is such a gentleman!." She said how nice he's been to everyone.

"I'm going to have everyone spar eventually spar with each other, but first everyone show me what you can do." Hinata witnessed him testing everyone. She was surprised at how patient he was. He was so kind that the kind of feedback he gave; he wasn't harsh nor did he sugarcoat the truth about what each person needed to work on. Perhaps with his help she can finally stop being a burden to everyone.

Then she saw Sakura. She was the last one that had yet to be tested and she wondered how she would do.

---

When everyone was done being evaluated one-on-one, Sakura was last. She was nervous—extremely nervous. She was not as good as some of the other students in terms of their skills and experience. She didn't want to leave a bad impression and have the professor think she was not worth his time. She had to do this right.

Everyone was looking, as if they were waiting for her to fail, proving the preconceived notions about her. No, she had to prove that she wasn't just dead weight.

"Sakura, I've read about your skills in your dossier. Impressive, though I'm disappointed how much you neglected your training." Byleth didn't sugarcoat how much work she had to do. "That ends now. I have high expectations from everyone, you included. Now show me everything you have."

Byleth got into a fighting stance with a wooden sword. Sakura did the same; she wasn't going to lose as badly as she did when she first sparred with Edelgard. Rather than attack him head-on, she waited for him to strike first. When he was about to strike at her abdomen, instead of trying to block his attack, she moved out of the way.

She was trying to keep her distance, taking advantage of her strength and faster speed. When he was about to strike at her again, she moved out of the way and struck at his back. She was happy that she managed to get at least one hit; that was more than most students could say.

But that wasn't the end of it. He went even faster. Sakura was barely able to keep up. Had it not been for her reflexes, which her mentor Tsunade had drilled into her, she would have already lost this sparring match by now. It was looking for an opening when she saw one, and then, with her chakra-charged punch, she struck again.

Before she could do anything else, he signaled for the match to end, surprising everyone in the Black Eagles, including Hinata, with how well she did.

"Impressive, Sakura. You did not underestimate me; you were cautious, you used your head when you were fighting against me. Where was this earlier when you first came here? I've read your report; you barely sparred with anyone. Yet here, you did well. Why do you do this to yourself? You could be stronger; why do you not challenge your peers to test yourself?" Byleth asked.

That was a question she wished she could answer. It would make her sound like she was making excuses, but honesty was the only way to gain respect in the eyes of her peers.

"I'm not popular around here. I don't think anyone would want to because of my reputation," Sakura admitted.

"I don't care about what your reputation was in your homeland. In my classroom, you will push yourself. You'll be better than you are now. I have high expectations for every one of my students because I know you can succeed. It will be on you if you succeed or fail. You have impressed me, Sakura, and I hope you continue to push yourself. Let this be a lesson: even losing in a sparring session is still a valuable experience because you're not going to learn unless you fail. Find out why and train so you don't fail again. You are smart as well; your grades are near perfect. In the upcoming mock battle, you'll be one of the students that will be essential. I'll give you further details tomorrow."

Byleth finished, and Sakura was dismissed. As she rejoined her classmates, she heard whispers.

"Damn, I'd like to spar with her sometime," she heard Caspar say, eager to find a new opponent to spar with.

"She would be an interesting opponent to spar with. If it isn't too much trouble, Sakura, I would like to spar with you sometime," said Petra, who was impressed. Edelgard was right.

"I would like that too," Sakura said, smiling at the girl.

She was glad she chose the Black Eagles and abandoned her infatuation with Sasuke. This was a start. She knew she still had a long road ahead of her. Maybe she would not be friends with all of them, but as she looked at her hands, she wanted to make a request.

"Does anyone have a knife I can borrow?" Sakura asked. Edelgard gave her the knife that she had on her. Sakura went to the center of the sparring arena; she wanted everyone to see this, including Hinata, so she would know she was serious.

"This hair that goes down to my back represents everything that was wrong with the way I looked at life. As of now, that changes." Sakura said as she, without hesitation, cut her hair. Everyone was surprised. Edelgard had a look of approval; the professor was pleased.

She knew what this meant. Cutting your hair meant a new beginning in the culture of the Empire. She let her hair go, as if the wind could wash away it way. As she looked at her hair, it represented everything that was wrong with her—vain, arrogant. She didn't want to be that person anymore.

She went toward her classmates; this was a new beginning for Sakura. She wasn't looking back. Sakura, the fan girl, was dead.

---

"Oh, I'm tired," remarked Bernadetta.

"I agree," said Hinata.

"Oh, her new handsome professor certainly knows how to work us out! Hey, Edie, aren't you tired?" Edelgard looks like she was in deep thought. "He's certainly something, though he's definitely not going to do it indefinitely; it's just for today and that the mock battle is tomorrow." She thought about the mock battle with Dorothea. She was looking forward to it in order to test her skills.

"I won't lose even to Naruto-kun." Said Hinata with resolve.

"I have no intention of losing either. The Black Eagles will win; I know it." Edelgard said with confidence that she didn't feel yesterday.

"This new professor is something, though unfortunately, he's not my type. The other girls looked at her, wondering what she meant.

"Aren't you attracted to both men and women?" asked Edelgard.

"Oh, yes! There's two people here I would definitely say are my type—actually, there's a third person though that would make things a little awkward." This caused Hinata to open her eyes like she wanted to know more.

"Oh, Hinaa Hime, you are so cute when you have that face." She enjoyed seeing Hinata blush. Dorothea thought it was adorable. She had everything that she found attractive in a woman: perfect waist, big breasts, her body being curvy in the right places, definitely attractive in her book. Then she thinks about the other girl, Ingrid. The same thing with her though; her skin was lighter than Dorothea's, and her breast were not as big as hers. They still were the size that she found attractive.

Naruto had the perfect body type for her; he was handsome and had a likable personality. However, he was off-limits because he was Hinata's boyfriend, and she had no intention of stealing her friend's man.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with liking attractive women, is there?"

Dorothea said playfully, pretending to be hurt.

"I don't know; I just find the idea strange to me."Hinata admitted.

"Oh, come on, Hinaa! Be honest with me; don't you find any women attractive?"She was blushing; she knew a bisexual when she saw one, and Hinata was clearly bisexual.

"I don't know; I mean, the closest ones I can think of would be ..."

She was excited to hear this.

"Can we please not talk about this right now, Dorothea?"Bernadetta said, not feeling comfortable with the subject.

"I have to agree", Edelgard said, clearly tired of the subject.

"So are you two going to hang out with Marianne on lunch?" asked Edelgard.

"Actually, that's what we're going to do; oh shit, lunches almost here! We better get out of here." said Dorothea, who got up quickly. The rest of the Black Eagles left; Edelgard went with them. I didn't think there was any harm, and the more friends, the better, Dorothea thought.

---

Cafeteria

Naruto was exhausted from a long boring classroom session with Kakashi. He thought everyone's reintroduction was excessive but that's how Kakashi did things. He noticed Sakura hair was cut which was the talk of the cafeteria he didn't really pay attention though it didn't really matter.

"Are you all right, Ingrid Chan?"Naruto asked, knowing something was wrong.

"It's nothing"Ingrid said Naruto knew something was off she was resisting the urge to cry.

"Come on Ingrid Chan we've been friends long enough for me to know something is wrong do you want to talk about it?"Naruto asked.

"Would it be all right if we talked alone?"Ingrid asked.

"Of course."Naruto said, wondering what was bothering her.

They left the cafeteria he was wondering where they were heading the one place that surprised him was outside the monastery why there he thought. They both lie down looking at the sky.There were birds in the sky, and Naruto couldn't help but find the scenery beautiful. He wondered what Ingrid was thinking? He couldn't wrap his mind around it; ever since meeting her, his feelings for this woman were the same as for Hinata, and he didn't understand why. He wished he could ask someone, but he had no one to talk to. The main thing he wanted to do was just make her smile, as there was always something sad about her face.

"Are you okay Ingrid Chan?" Naruto asked her for the second time.

"I'm fine Naruto."Ingrid said hesitantly.

"No, you're not. You're not yourself today you look like you're about to break down in tears so what's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"I'm thinking about the people that are not here anymore." Ingrid said.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"10 years ago, I lost my brother. He was murdered brutally. He possessed a crest; he was the hope for the family and." Naruto didn't need to hear anymore to know. He put his arm around her, and she buried her face in his chest.

"Ever since his death, I've had the entire future of my family put on me because I possess a crest. Any dreams that I have, I've had to put aside for the sake of the family." Ingrid said.

"Ingrid-chan, you don't have to say anymore." Naruto said.

"Please let me say something, Naruto. I can't tell this to anyone else; they wouldn't understand." Ingrid said pleadingly.

"What about Hinata-chan and Dorothea-chan?" Naruto asked, wondering why she wasn't talking to them about it—why him?

"Because I want to talk to you about it 'cause I..." She hesitated.

"Hinata and Dorothea are busy right now, hanging out with Marianne, and I don't want to ruin their day. You're the only one that is available, plus you're the only one I can tell this to," she paused.

"I won't tell anyone about this, Ingrid-chan. You have my word," Naruto said as he allowed her to continue.

"There was a man that I was going to marry. He was so nice. His name was Glenn, and he was a good and honorable man. I met him on multiple occasions on my 18th birthday. I would have married him, but things didn't quite work out." Naruto knew where the story would end.

"He... He... Died," Ingrid couldn't say anymore. The silence was enough as she cried into his arms; he didn't know what to say. It hurt him not being able to do anything, and she continued to cry on his chest. His heart was beating, and he wanted to see a smile on her face, to make her happy. What was this feeling? he said nothing as she continued to cry.

"I feel so useless. I can't do anything. I failed to protect him. What if I fail to protect Dorothea, Hinata, and…" She looked at Naruto; he had no words.

"What if I couldn't protect you? I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect anyone," Ingrid said as she continued to cry.

"You're not a failure. You're strong," Naruto said reassuringly.

"How can you say I'm strong? Look at me, I'm crying like a crybaby," Ingrid said, not understanding how Naruto could be the way he is towards her.

"How many times have you kicked my ass in our sparring matches?" Naruto said with his smile. Ingrid felt her cheeks turn pink.

"I…" she turned away, not wanting Naruto to see it.

"You are strong in other ways as well. There are other aspects of you that I greatly admire. You have integrity and honor; you have values that I hold dear to my heart. There aren't any like you back home," Naruto said. Ingrid's heart was beating faster the more he spoke about her.

"It's no wonder she loves you so much. You say the sweetest things, Naruto, and you don't have to try," Ingrid said.

"That's not true. I do, and I really mean it when I say you and Dorothea are precious friends to me. Without you, I don't know where I would be. I would have probably never had the courage to speak to Hinata-chan. I owe you two a lot," Naruto said, which caused her heart to beat even more.

"How would you feel about sharing her with someone?" Ingrid asked, hoping she wasn't pushing it.

"It would depend on who the people are," Naruto answered.

She needed to talk to Dorothea alone about these growing feelings they had been developing for the past two months. It was impossible for her to ignore; it was getting too strong. Being in his arms, her desire was difficult for her to control. It took everything in her willpower not to tell Naruto what was truly on her mind—what was eating at her.

"Thank you, Naruto, for helping me at my time of weakness. I got to go; I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she got up.

"If we face each other tomorrow, don't hold back," Naruto said. She turned around and smiled sadly at him.

"May the best fighter win," Ingrid said as she turned her back on him and headed towards where Dorothea was.

---

Marianne was eating alone when she saw the girls from the Black Eagles' house sitting next to her; she recognized all of them but the one she doesn't normally see was their house leader Edelgard.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" asked Dorothea as not to be rude.

"I don't mind," Marianne said, focusing on her food.

"So how was class?" asked Hinata.

"It was fine. I'm just." She really wanted to know which class Byleth was in she was anxious and she didn't know how to convey that without revealing the nature of their relationship. She truly did. She felt stronger when he was around. He understood her in ways others didn't. He was able to talk to animals and understand them. Nobody else could do what she did. Goddess reunited them again and she was anxious to know where he was?

"I just wish Byleth was in my class."Marianne said quietly.

"Are you talking about the new professor?"asked Edelgard.

"Wait, what new professor?" Marianne asked, trying to not lose her composure. She expected him to be a classmate, not a professor; she couldn't show her classmates from the Black Eagles what she was thinking. She had to stay calm.

" Professor Byleth, he taught our class today interesting lessons he taught us I will say"remarked Dorothea.

"You mean he's teaching your class?"she said barely able to get the words out her cheeks were pink which was not unnoticed by everyone on the table.

"Yes he's in our class he's a good teacher kind and considerate," Bernadetta said with a confidence that she doesn't normally see. She couldn't believe it the shy and reclusive girl was more confident in herself and he was only in their class for a day.

"He hasn't changed, that's a relief"she said quietly. Hinata picked up on what she was feeling.

"you're always welcome to transfer,"Edelgard pointed out.

She wanted to do it right now; she wanted to leave the cafeteria and go straight to the Black Eagles classroom and request a transfer. She was so excited and nervous at the same time. It took all of her self-control not to leave, but she didn't want to give her future classmates the wrong impression. She also didn't want to do it without Hilda knowing first. Hilda is her friend, her best friend; she deserves to know why she was leaving.

"I was planning on going to the class he chose. My decision has already been made," Marianne said, which shocked everyone at the table with how quickly she agreed to join their class.

"Are you really sure you want to decide something like this this quickly?" asked Hinata. She was surprised by how rapidly Marianne was making a decision like this.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," Marianne said without hesitation. She ignored the voices that were telling her that it was fruitless and that she was a burden to others. She still felt that way, but being apart from Byleth for the past few years was already agony enough; she couldn't bear to be apart from him any longer.

"It's an honor to have you in the Black Eagles, Marianne. I'm looking forward to being your classmate," said Edelgard, who offered her a handshake. Marianne didn't feel worthy, but when she thought of Byleth, her doubts evaporated. She took her hand and shook it.

"Thank you, Lady Edelgard," Marianne said formally.

"There's no need for that in this academy; we're all on the same level, just call me Edelgard," the Black Eagles house leader requested. Like Hinata three months before, Marianne respected Edelgard's request.

"Okay," Marianne replied.

She looked at the group and then left. She was going to talk to Hilda today, the last day she would be part of the Golden Deer class. Tomorrow, she would be part of the Black Eagles. She went to where Hilda was.

Hilda was talking to her classmates when she saw Marianne.

"Marianne, unexpected to see you here. Do you need something?" asked Hilda.

"Do you think we can talk with just the two of us, Hilda?" asked Marianne. Hilda, looking at Ino, Shez, who just joined the Golden Deer class, and Leonie.

"It's okay, Hilda; talk to your friend," said Ino.

They walked in silence. Marianne was nervous; she didn't know how Hilda would take what she was about to tell her.

---

."So you're leaving then?" asked Hilda. Marianne looked away guiltily. Hilda knew Marianne was acting different as soon as Byleth arrived; it had a lot to do with him. She heard about Byl, who she thought was a boy that she fell in love with three years ago, but to think Byl is Byleth—she had no idea how to react. She didn't want Marianne to leave, but she couldn't force her to stay; it wouldn't be fair to her.

"I'm sorry, you're a great friend, Hilda. You are; I can't think of a better friend, but I don't belong here." This made Hilda sad; she truly wanted her to belong, but for her own happiness, she didn't want her best friend to leave without her. She didn't know if she could trust Byleth; she had to make sure he wasn't someone who would take advantage of Marianne. The only way to do that was to be in the same class as Marianne. It would be a sudden decision that would surprise everyone in the Golden Deer tomorrow, but she didn't care at that moment—she wasn't going to let Marianne go alone.

"I'm going with you," Hilda said. Marianne looked at her in shock.

"Hilda, you don't have to go because of me. What about Claude? What about all your friends and the Golden Deer?" Marianne asked, wanting her to understand what she was saying. But Hilda knew exactly what she was saying because Marianne was someone precious to her. Anyone was someone she would fight and die for; it would be her.

"We've been through thick and thin, Marianne. I don't intend to abandon you ever; you can't get rid of me that easily," Hilda said as she walked by Marianne's side. She turned her back and looked at where Claude was.

"Go ahead, Marianne. I have to talk to Claude first; I can't leave without at least telling him why," Hilda said. Marianne looked at Hilda and then turned back. This is it, she thought; she's leaving because she wanted to stay by Marianne's side always.

---

Hinata was wondering what the commotion was about. There were talks of a sparring match between two new transfer students in the Golden Deer. She went to the Golden Deer sparring arena out of curiosity, accompanied by Dorothea, Bernadetta, and Edelgard. Naruto was there, watching eagerly. Hinata waved her hand, and Naruto smiled at her presence.

"You're here just in time to see some arrogant Hyuga get humbled," Naruto said, causing Hinata to smile. She never cared much for her clan's arrogance, finding it satisfying to see those who looked down on others get put in their place.

Then she noticed Ingrid eyeing Dorothea.

"Do you think we can talk in private, Dorothea?" Ingrid asked. Dorothea looked at her classmates to get permission, even though she didn't need it; she did it out of respect.

"Your friend can use you right now," said Hinata. The two women left, and Naruto went to her side. But Hinata was surprised to see that the person in the arena was her own sister, Hanabi, who had the usual air of arrogance and superiority. Even though she was her sister, Hinata was looking forward to seeing her knocked down a peg.

A mercenary who had saved her life and the life of her friends, as well as Sasuke, was looking at Hanabi with an indifferent look, as if she wasn't taking her seriously, like she was a child.

"Are you sure you want to challenge me, Hanabi? I'll ask you this one more time because I don't want to hear you crying like a girl after I completely humble you. You have one last chance to back out." Shez said, respectfully. Despite the way Hanabi was presenting herself, she was being given a way out. But knowing her sister, who embraced everything that she hated about her clan—its hubris and its pride—Hinata knew Hanabi wouldn't back down.

"You think I'm afraid of you? You're nothing more than a third-rate mercenary. You're nothing to me! I've been trained by the elite of my clan. I've been on many missions since the age of 12. I will grind your skull into the ground, and you will know your place," Hanabi said arrogantly. Shez didn't change her expression; she went to grab two practice swords. She swung the first sword in her right hand and swung the second sword in her left for balance. Hanabi did not look impressed.

"I've been a mercenary since I was 10 years old, girl. I have far more experience than you, and I don't think a third-rate mercenary would fight Byleth Eisner and live. Can you say that you fought someone as powerful as the Ashen Demon? I doubt you fought anyone even close to that level," Shez said with confidence. Hanabi did not look impressed.

"I'm supposed to be impressed by a third-rate mercenary surviving an encounter with a second-rate mercenary? Please!" Hanabi retorted. The nerve of this girl! Hinata couldn't stand her younger sister's arrogance.

"You shouldn't speak about things you know nothing about, Hanabi. I saw Professor Byleth up close; he's no joke," Hinata said with strained patience, resisting the urge to grind her teeth. Hanabi looked at Hinata and sneered.

"The failure obviously will be impressed by a second-rate mercenary. Nothing shocks me," Hanabi said. Hinata would love nothing more than to see her arrogant air of superiority be completely destroyed. Oh, she was looking forward to it; she was confident Shez would win.

Both of them got into their stances. Kakashi signaled for the match to begin.

"Who do you think's going to win this?" asked Bernadetta.

Hinata was looking at the stance of both of them. She could tell her sister was making multiple mistakes already at the start of the match; she was leaving herself open to Shez's fast strikes. Shez moved in a smooth motion. Hanabi tried to block her blow with her right palm, but she was caught off guard as Shez struck at her left abdomen and then struck at her right.

She used her Air Palm to create distance between them, but it didn't help her in the slightest. Shez did not relent in her attacks. She executed a cross guard strike and hit Hanabi on the shoulder, who almost screamed in pain. Her sister pushed her opponent back to gain as much distance as possible and resumed her stance, waiting for Hanabi's next strike.

She moved as fast as light and tried to strike from behind, but Shez struck again, this time at her sister's neck. Frustrated, Hanabi attempted to strike wildly at her. Shez, as if she was made of water, evaded each of Hanabi's pawing strikes; it was as if she was moving faster than the speed of light, and time itself was slowing down for Hanabi.

Hinata knew this match was all but decided; her sister had already lost, and she refused to accept it with grace.

"Fight me, damn you!" Hanabi yelled impatiently.

"I thought I was a third-rate mercenary. Didn't expect a third-rate to give you so much trouble, did you? You spoiled little princess," Shez said confidently, as Hanabi continued to strike wildly at her, desperate to land a blow. Shez was not taking Hanabi seriously; she was treating her like a child.

"You'll regret not taking me seriously, third-rate." Hanabi got into a clan signature technique. Edelgard watched with interest.

"Your sister's nowhere near your level. It's hard to believe you're considered a failure with this abysmal performance," Edelgard said, shocking Hinata. She did not think there was that much of a difference between herself and her sister, but here she was, witnessing how poorly Hanabi was performing against Shez, a woman who didn't have any jutsu. She saw the match approaching its conclusion.

Her sister used the One Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms to try to strike at every one of Shez's chakra points, but it was pointless considering how easily Shez dodged her sister's blows. When the last of the missed strikes failed, Hanabi had a look of disbelief on her face.

"I suggest you yield, girl. You clearly have lost. You underestimated me; this should teach you a valuable lesson about judging your opponents based on your assumptions," Shez said calmly, again giving Hanabi a way out to admit defeat with grace rather than suffering in disgrace.

"I suggest you accept her offer, Hanabi. There's no shame in admitting defeat," said Hinata respectfully to her sister, despite their strained relations. Hanabi looked at her with an enraged expression.

"I don't need a second-rate Hyuga telling me what I should be doing! Be silent!" Hanabi shot back, and Hinata felt anger rise within her.

"Do you want to be humbled by me as well, sister? I'll do it if that's what it will take for you to learn to show humility and respect," Hinata said calmly.

"You want to prove to everyone at this school how inferior you are to me? Fine, I'll fight you," Hanabi said, ignoring Shez, who wasn't bothered by being overlooked. As far as Shez was concerned, she had already won the battle and didn't need to prove herself further.

"You've lost me, and you want to fight someone even stronger than I am. Good luck with that," Shez said mockingly as she walked out of the arena. Naruto looked at her with a worried expression.

"Don't worry about me, Naruto-kun. I will not lose to anyone, including my sister," Hinata said as she entered the arena. Hanabi looked at her with the same revulsion she had during their last duel six months ago. Hinata took a deep breath; this wasn't the same as their last duel. A lot of time had passed, and the new friends she had made since January would not let her lose again, especially not in front of everyone, and certainly not with Edelgard and her boyfriend watching.

---

Shez didn't need to see into the future to know Hanabi would lose badly, even worse against Hinata than against herself. What shocked her was they were sisters. It was hard to believe that they were even related, considering how Hinata treats people versus her younger sister, Hanabi. The two girls circled each other in the arena; there were no words being exchanged between them.

Claude was on her side; Hilda was watching as well, though she didn't even notice she was there.

"I can't believe she's challenging Hinata right after she was humbled by you," Hilda said in disbelief.

"This will end even worse for her. She will lose, and she will lose badly," Shez said, which surprised everyone.

"What makes you say that she will lose?" asked Claude, who was curious.

"It's simple: in every way that matters, Hinata is faster and stronger than her. Her main issue is her confidence, but something changed today. If she faced Hinata yesterday, I wouldn't have this opinion," Shez said, looking at the way Hinata was presenting herself, the way she was moving. She held herself with confidence; she was not afraid. Whatever the Black Eagles professor has done has brought out a confidence that did not exist previously.

"You are very observant," said Naruto, watching his girlfriend getting into her stance.

"I can already tell this match is going to end badly for Hanabi. She should have walked away instead of suffering complete humiliation," said Edelgard.

Hanabi got into her stance. It was tense; one wrong move and the match could end in an instant in either opponent's favor. Though Shez was confident Hinata would win, it was still possible for her to lose if she didn't keep control of her emotions. She waited patiently as Hanabi made the first move. She went straight at Hinata's heart, which surprised everyone; that kind of strike could potentially kill.

Hinata pushed her right hand away like it was nothing. The girl looked at her with shock.

"This is not the compound, Hanabi. Surely you know killing me will have severe penalties," Hinata said as if she were scolding a child, further enraging Hanabi.

"It doesn't matter. Even here, our traditions matter. Or have you forgotten?" Hanabi said as she struck again at the same spot. Hinata again knocked her palm back. She tried striking at other vital points and went towards her arteries. Hinata used her own technique and struck at Hanabi's chest.

The girl was shocked; every time she tried to strike at Hinata, she was brushed off like she was nothing more than a pest. It was as if Hinata were a giant and Hanabi an ant. Every time she tried to strike at other points—this time she tried to aim for Hinata's throat—Hinata pushed her left palm away. The gentle fist was no joke, Shez thought; had she been inexperienced, it could have been a really deadly technique to be on the receiving end of.

As the match continued, Hanabi went even faster, striking at other vital points on Hinata's body. She tried to go for her back, which resulted in Hinata kicking Hanabi in the face, knocking her down onto the floor. The match was over, but the girl still got up.

"I refuse to believe it! You are trash! Six months ago, you could not have gotten this strong!" Hanabi said with anger, not believing that someone she believed was inferior to her was indeed stronger.

"Six months have passed since our last duel, Hanabi. A lot can change," Hinata said to the 15-year-old girl who refused to accept that she had lost the duel. When she was about to continue, Kakashi stepped in.

"I can't have you both put each other in the infirmary. And you've lost twice, mind you Hanabi, because of your conduct and pushing what's acceptable in duels in the officer's academy. You will be forbidden from participating in the mock battle tomorrow; your grades will suffer as a result of your unwillingness to yield," Kakashi said, which caused Hanabi to look at Hinata and then at Shez with rage.

"I'll remember this, Kakashi. I'll report this to my father," Hanabi said as she stormed off.

"What a bitch," she heard Lysithea say, showing her dislike for Hinata's younger sister. After the duel was over, Hinata went to where Naruto was.

"I knew you could do it, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, praising her, which caused the girl to blush.

"Will you two get a room?" Claude joked, causing both of them to blush as they left the sparring arena.

"That was satisfying to watch," said Leonie, satisfied with the result.

"At least we don't have to deal with her tomorrow, thank goodness," said Raphael.

"I can't believe those two are related," said Lorenz, who had a clear distaste for the brown-haired Hyuga girl.

Satisfied with how the duel turned out, she decided she would go to her room for the day.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the mock battle," Shez said as she headed to her room. She wasn't confident she could defeat Byleth, but she was sure as hell she wasn't going to lose tomorrow. That was one thing she was determined to make happen. If she could not get a victory in a life-or-death struggle, the least she could do was seek help from her class. Even though it would be more satisfying to her if she defeated him one-on-one, she was resolute. She was determined to win tomorrow; she wasn't going to suffer another loss to Byleth Eisner—not if she had anything to say about it.

---

Nothing was more satisfying than seeing Hanabi getting completely humbled. It was quite a spectacle how angry the girl got when she lost badly to Shez and Hinata; everyone who watched shared in their victory. Though something was bothering Claude—Hilda was looking at him, and she was reluctant to say something, as if she was going to tell him something he wasn't going to like hearing. Ino was by his side; it was as if she knew before he did what Hilda was going to say.

"That was quite a match we witnessed, wasn't it?" asked Claude. He was wondering what Hilda was going to say.

"Claude, these past few months have been fun. They really have." Hilda paused; she was going to do something he wasn't going to like. His first instinct was correct, but what was it? Was she going to transfer? That was not like Hilda at all, especially so suddenly.

"Does this have to do with Marianne?" asked Ino, having a feeling that's what this was all about.

"I can't leave her, Claude. I'm sorry, not even for you. I can't leave her," she said quietly.

"I may not know much, but don't you and Edelgard have a troubled history?" asked Claude. It was no secret that they were once in a relationship, and it ended badly. He didn't know the details, nor did he want to, because what his friends did in their personal lives was not any of his business.

"Whatever my relationship with her was, it doesn't change the fact that Marianne is my best friend. I can't leave her there by herself," Hilda said. Claude knew that Hilda and Marianne were close, but he couldn't help but think that Marianne leaving the Golden Deer had a lot to do with the new professor. What reason could she have to leave was a question that Claude wanted to know.

"Don't be a stranger, Hilda. You're one of the few friends I have," Claude said. Hilda had a guilty look on her face, knowing that this was hurting him—leaving his house for Edelgard's.

"I'm sorry, Claude. I really am. You will always be my friend. We could still hang out outside of class; that will not change. The only thing that will change is you won't see each other in the morning as much. Other than that, our relationship will be unchanged." Hilda said with a confidence that Claude wasn't sure he could have.

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow. Whatever you do, Hilda, don't hold back," Claude said. He might regret it later, considering Hilda's insane strength.

" You might regret it later, Claude," Hilda said, laughing.

The two turned their backs on each other. Hilda went towards the Black Eagles classroom while Claude was walking with Ino.

The two said nothing for a few minutes until she spoke.

"This could put us at a disadvantage tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure with you, Kakashi, and Shikamaru together, you'll come up with something," Ino said encouragingly, trying to look at the bright side.

"Well, tomorrow is going to show me one hell of a fight for us," Claude said. They both stopped, as if they were reluctant to part from each other. Claude wanted to ask Ino something, though he didn't know how.

"I was wondering if, after the mock battle..." Claude hesitated, not knowing how she would take it.

"Are you asking me out, Claude-kun?" Ino said with an amused smile.

"Oh, come on, don't make this difficult for me," Claude said, faking being hurt.

"I would love to, Claude-kun. We'll worry about the details after the mock battle. I'll see you tomorrow," Ino said as she left Claude alone. He couldn't believe it; she accepted! He wanted to celebrate but decided against it, considering the circumstances. Tomorrow would be an important day.

He was going to get some sleep and come up with a strategy so bold and impressive that the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions would learn to fear the Deer.

---

She felt Naruto's arms around her; they were lying on his bed in his quarters. If there wasn't a mock battle, they would be doing what they usually do when they're alone in Naruto's room.

"You were so cool today, Hinata-chan. I loved that smug look on her face being wiped away as you proved to her how strong you truly are," Naruto said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I didn't enjoy doing what I did. I wish things could go back the way they were, where we could be sisters again," Hinata said with sadness.

"I'm sorry; that was insensitive of me," Naruto said.

"It's okay. I understand the sentiment, but I can't control who my family is, Naruto-kun. Hanabi is family. I wish we could just be a family again," she said quietly, burying her face on his chest.

"Who's to say you can't make a new family? Family doesn't have to be tied by blood. There are other forms of family, you know," Naruto said, thinking about their experiences in their respective classes over the past three months. Hinata and Naruto may not be in the same houses, but they've learned similar lessons. Naruto has found a kind of family in the Golden Deer, while Hinata has found one in the Black Eagles. Then he thinks about it—Edelgard and Dimitri. If there was anyone that was like family, it would be them. Mercedes, the friend she had made when she stayed in Konoha, would be another. Hinata thinks about her team and then Kurenai, the woman who was the closest thing she ever had to another mother. She had family, and she didn't know it. She looked inward instead of outward.

"You're right, but I think I've always had a family, and I didn't know it. With my team, I wouldn't trade Kiba, Shino, or Kurenai-sensei for anything," Hinata said, closing her eyes.

"You know, one day, I hope I can be part of that too," Naruto said, feeling him hold on to her tightly. If only he knew how much she wanted that too.

"Tomorrow, no matter what, do not hold back, Naruto-kun. If you do, I'll never forgive you," Hinata said seriously. She truly meant it; she didn't want Naruto to hold back.

"Considering how you've been kicking my ass lately, I'll have to go all out, my dear," Naruto said, which caused them both to laugh.

"I promise I won't hold back tomorrow, no matter who wins. Let's celebrate together, the two of us," Naruto said, causing Hinata's heart to beat. Naruto wouldn't be doing something as simple as another love-making session; it had to be something different.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow, my Hime," Naruto said. As she thought about whatever surprise he had for her, she felt him snore—he had fallen asleep. Hinata would give anything to hear Naruto tell her that he loves her. She would like to hear it at least once. She falls asleep, not knowing how much things would change tomorrow.

---

Marianne was nervous but excited; she took a deep breath and opened the door to the Black Eagle's hall. Byleth was working on paperwork, and from what she could tell, he was reading a stack of books—the curriculum, she supposed. When she finally got close, he stopped and looked at her. She had no idea what to say; damn it, why couldn't she just say something? There was no one to stop her this time— not her adopted father, not anyone. It was just her and Byleth; they were alone.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon," Byleth said, shocked that she appeared so quickly.

"I didn't want to wait anymore," Marianne replied, barely able to contain herself. She knew where they were at; she couldn't be affectionate with him—not where anyone could walk in on them.

"Mari, I'm glad you're here. I…" He couldn't form a proper sentence. This did not happen with them together three years ago. He had changed far more than she had realized; he didn't act this way. He was acting as if he didn't comprehend his own emotions.

"I'm sorry. Just being with you again, I feel like…" He couldn't put it into words. Marianne was having a difficult time believing that their roles were reversed; he was more nervous than she was, which shouldn't be what was happening.

"It's okay," Marianne said as she clasped her hands onto his.

"I haven't forgotten about that night we had together," Byleth said, referring to their first time together when they both gave in to their passions. Their emotions were raw; she recalled the memory vividly. It was after he saved her life when she was nearly killed by an assassin that was hired to end her life—the injury that he had received, the emotions they both felt. She remembered it well: the night that she gave herself to him, body and soul.

"With how things are here, we can't be open; we have to act like nothing is between us. I don't know how I can do that," Byleth said, trying to control his emotions.

"I'll do what I have to as long as I'm by your side. I'll do anything," Marianne said as she pressed her forehead against his.

"This feeling in my chest—what is it that I'm feeling?" he said, trying to comprehend the emotion he was feeling. She understood what he was feeling—it's what she had felt when she first laid eyes on him three years ago.

"It's happiness," Marianne answered.

"I wish I could understand these feelings that I have," Byleth said.

"I'd gladly help you, Byl. With the goddess with us, we'll find out together," Marianne said with a warm smile.

"While I would love to take our passion further, we have to keep ourselves in check," Byleth said, restraining the urge to make love to her right then. It was her desire as well; it had been so long.

She looked at the paper along with her lover. They had forgotten about her reason for being in the classroom. She blushed, and Byleth sat down at his desk, trying to maintain appearances in case someone walked in.

She looked at the form. She would sign this, and it would end her association with the Golden Deer. She didn't think about doing it; she signed it without hesitation. When she was done, she stood there in silence, not knowing what else to say.

"If it isn't too much to ask, would it be all right if I...?" Marianne turned away.

"Of course. After everything is done, you could come to my quarters," Byleth said as she left his room. Her heart was beating. She had no idea how she was going to keep this relationship with her lover a secret. They had to appear as student and teacher in order to maintain appearances, despite meeting years prior.

"See you later," Marianne said as she left.

---

After seeing Marianne leave, Hilda went inside the classroom. This was a big decision she knew would surprise Edelgard when she came to her class tomorrow. She walked slowly to the desk where the new professor was working on paperwork. He looked up and saw her, surprised at her presence. He stopped what he was doing and looked Hilda in the eye.

"What have I done to deserve this honor, Hilda?" asked Byleth, who somehow knew she was coming. She couldn't explain it; he just knew.

"I wish to transfer to your class, professor," Hilda said, hoping that he wouldn't ask her questions. The last thing she wanted was to have a long and drawn-out conversation with this man. Right now, she just wanted to get the transfer done and over with.

"She's told me a lot about you. You're exactly how I imagined you looking," Byleth said awkwardly. Hilda could tell he wasn't used to talking to people, especially those of the opposite gender.

"So you do know Marianne? Is that the reason she's transferring to your class?" Hilda wanted to know how Marianne and this man met. They obviously had a history together, but how? She knew about Marianne disappearing for six months when her parents were dealing with problems related to their political enemies. Could he have something to do with her disappearance?

"Yes, I know her. I was assigned to do a job protecting her for six months," Byleth answered.

"You were assigned to protect her for six months as her bodyguard? I have a difficult time believing that, considering how you're talking to me. I don't know if you know social cues. How did you end up in her heart?" Hilda asked, wanting to know more. It was no secret to Hilda that Marianne had fallen in love with someone during the six months she had disappeared, and the man in front of her was that person. What was it about this man that drove Marianne to him?

"I'd rather not get into detail about what we did together; it's personal," Byleth said, his voice guarded.

"Then how about we change the subject back to the reason I'm here? I'm here to transfer; that wouldn't be too much trouble, would it?" Hilda said. From the corner of his eye, he looked relieved that the subject changed. He wasn't good at expressing himself; he wasn't used to being around people. In fact, from what she could pick up, he wasn't necessarily the most comfortable around people—a little shy in a way, but not like Marianne is.

He took the forms and put them on the desk. Hilda looked at it. This would end her association with the Golden Deer; there would be no turning back from this decision once it is made.

"Hilda, are you sure you want to transfer? I have high standards for every one of my students, and that will include you in that number. I don't expect anything less than excellence from you because I know you're capable. Knowing that, are you still willing to transfer to my class?" Byleth said authoritatively, removing any informal tone in his voice. She wasn't thrilled about having to work as hard as she would be forced to in his class, but she was doing this for Marianne's sake, and that would be worth it to her.

"I know what I'm getting myself into, professor, and I want to transfer," Hilda said as she took the pen that was on the table and signed her name on the form that would end her association with the Golden Deer. She thought about Claude and every one of her friends in the Golden Deer; she would miss them. She would miss being in their class. She would miss seeing them in the morning. But then she thought about Hinata—she's in this class, and she's one of Marianne's friends. It wouldn't be so bad; she could still hang out with them outside of class and at lunch. But still, it wouldn't be the same.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hilda. Don't be late," Byleth said as he continued to work on paperwork. She turned her back on her professor and looked at him one last time. His eyes held a kind of loneliness, and at that moment, she couldn't help but feel bad for the man. But she couldn't allow that to happen; she couldn't allow herself to feel anything for him. She had to be sure for herself if he was a good partner for her, and she could only do that by watching him up close. She would stay guarded. She turned her back and left the class. He didn't make it a secret that they were in a relationship, but why would he trust her with that kind of information?

Hilda decided to sleep on it for now. Tomorrow would be the mock battle, and she would have to mentally prepare herself for having to deal with her ex, which was something she wasn't looking forward to.

---

Sasuke was enjoying the meal that Mercedes cooked for him, though they weren't alone like he would have wanted; he was with his friends Felix and Annette. Yeah, he would consider them friends; he felt relaxed around them, even if he didn't show it.

"Mercie, this food is amazing," Annette said, enjoying the meal that her friend made.

"Thanks, Ann." This wasn't the first time Sasuke had eaten with Mercedes and Annette, along with her boyfriend Felix. He had learned a lot about them through their interactions. Annette was a dear friend to Mercedes; she was there for him when Sasuke wasn't. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy, even though he knew it was ridiculous.

"What do you think, Sasuke-kun?" Mercedes asked him sweetly, her smile reminding him of the delicious taste of her cooking. It always brought a smile to his face. During the time she spent in Konoha, he felt more grounded. However, he knew he had to control himself; he couldn't openly show his true emotions towards this woman.

"It reminds me of my mother's cooking," Sasuke blurted out, which caused Felix to look at him strangely, along with Sylvain.

"I forget what it tastes like; it's been so long that I almost forgot what her voice even sounded like or what she looked like," Sasuke said, but then realized where he was and stopped. Mercedes picked up on this immediately; she knew what Sasuke was saying without him getting into detail.

Sasuke was never this open with anyone, but considering the company he kept, he felt more comfortable. Dimitri looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to ruin everyone's mood. I just... it's been so long," Sasuke said, looking at his food.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Sasuke," said Dimitri, noticing the atmosphere changing drastically because of Sasuke's mood.

"I'm sorry; I don't want to ruin everyone's evening. It's just a moment; I don't want to ruin Mercie's hard work." Sasuke said as he resumed eating what Mercedes had made. Dimitri couldn't help but notice something in Mercedes' eyes—the kind of look that he knew he had seen too many times to count.

"I'll make a prayer for Mikoto-san," Mercedes said to Sasuke reassuringly. That name— it must be the name of his mother.

Mercedes did her prayer, but what shocked Dimitri was that Sasuke joined her.

"Goddess, may you bless the souls of the departed and give them peace; may you bless the souls of the living and give them light." When they both finished, everyone was surprised. Sasuke was the last person Dimitri ever expected to be a believer in the goddess.

"I never knew you were a believer," said Annette, surprised to learn something new about their classmate.

"Mercie exists, there has to be a goddess," Sasuke said, but then he realized that he had an audience and turned away, Mercedes doing the same. Dimitri knew the romantic tension between them was increasing. He didn't pretend to know what it would be like to be in either one of their shoes, but he decided to stay out of it; nothing would be gained by interfering with their relationship.

"I've heard criticism of the church, but I just don't see it. For the first time, I feel at peace that I haven't felt in years. It scares me in a way."Sasuke was never this open before. He was around people he trust.

"There's much you don't know about your majesty, Sasuke. I hope one day you can be a good friend to him."

Dedue said to him. He still couldn't bring himself to call Dimitri a friend.

"why don't you call Dimitri your friend?"Sasuke asked finding it odd."It's complicated."Dedue answered

"I'll make a deal with you, Dedue San. If you're willing to open up about your past, I'll open up about mine." This was something Dimitri didn't expect.

"Talking about my past is painful," Dedue said to Sasuke, not wanting to bring it up.

"So is mine."Sasuke replied Dimitri was concerned about the tension in the room but found that his concern was unfounded.

"Very well. When I'm ready, I'll reveal about my past as long as you're willing to live up to your end of the bargain, but not today."

Dedue agreed. Sasuke nodded in agreement. After everyone was done eating, Sasuke picked up the dishes and helped Mercedes wash them. Dimitri couldn't help but notice, in the corner of his eye, Sasuke and Mercedes. He couldn't help but see that the way they acted towards each other was different than it had been when they were reunited 3 months ago. Whatever their relationship had been when they departed 5 years ago, it was different now. He would let time take its course and only step in if they desired his help; things like love should develop organically.

---

After they were done washing the dishes Mercedes decided to sit down Sasuke across from her.

"I'm sorry Sasuke Kun, I didn't mean to have remind you of such painful memories"Sasuke didn't allow her to finish.

"You were the first real friend I had after the death of my family. You were there for me in Konoha during the year you spent there, and you helped me in ways you cannot even begin to understand. Your impact on my life has been profound. I don't know where I would be now if we hadn't met six years ago," Sasuke said as Mercedes placed her hand on his.

"You were the first real friend I had after I was forced to leave my home. I moved from place to place without a permanent residence and had no time for friends. You and Hina are precious to me, and I wouldn't trade you for anything." Mercedes reflected on the memories from Konoha, where she made two of the best friends she had ever had. However, for Sasuke, things felt different. She didn't quite understand the feelings that were stirring in her now; they were not the same as when they had parted ways.

"I didn't expect you to say positive things about the church of Seiros, not many of the transfer students have good things to say about the church." She didn't like it how negative they looked at the church. She understood the criticisms, but she felt most of them weren't fair. They helped her when she was homeless and didn't have a place to go."

"I know no institution is perfect, but compare to Konoha, the Church of Seiros are saints. I've read about the history of what I know. I don't know nearly the amount of barbarism committed by the church compared to Konoha and the five nations. They can learn from the knights of Seiros's example."Sasuke said.

"Not even the inhabitants of Fodlan look at the good that the church does compared to Sasuke. It was refreshing in a way."

"I'm pretty sure Lady Rhea would appreciate what you're saying."Mercedes said smiling.

Sasuke said nothing to that.

"I'll escort you to your room."Sasuke offered her his hand. She took it as they walked to her room. She felt his hand; it was warm. When they got near her room, she reluctantly let go.

"I'll see you tomorrow,"Mercedes said to Sasuke.

"Good night."She went to her room and closed the door. She took a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding. She felt her heart beating rapidly; she had felt drawn to Sasuke the moment she laid her eyes on him for the first time in 5 years. What was this feeling she was having? She didn't know who to talk to; she laid down and stared at the ceiling. She decided to sleep on it for now and focus on the mock battle. She fell asleep thinking about Sasuke Uchiha.

---

Rhea saw Sasuke walking away from Mercedes' room. She overheard everything in their conversation. She misjudged Sasuke; he could be a powerful ally in the future, or a powerful enemy. She wanted him as an ally, but how? She walked into her quarters, thinking that having Sasuke be loyal to the church would be essential. The last Uchiha he is part of one of the most powerful bloodlines on the planet. The Sharingan she couldn't allow to fall into the hands of the Agarthans, who would use it for death and destruction. She didn't entirely trust Konoha, due to the existence of the Root organization. Her old friend from Konoha, while she respects him a lot, happened under his watch, such as the destruction of the Uchiha clan.

She never hated the clan, though she was wary of them considering their history, she almost felt like destiny led Sasuke Uchiha to choose the Blue Lions' house; it was something she wasn't pleased with at first. Then she saw his change in the past few months, how the Blue Lions have gradually changed Sasuke. She wanted to have him as a knight of Seiros. She heard footsteps and saw Catherine, just the woman she was waiting for.

"Catherine, I have a task for you." The blonde-haired woman, a loyal knight, bowed respectfully.

"What is it that you wish for me, Lady Rhea?"

She knew this course of action could potentially change the balance of power. She didn't like doing this, but she had to do what she had to do for the sake of the people of Fodlan.

"I wish for you to train Sasuke Uchiha. Give him all the training he requires."

She gasped. "You mean that transfer student? I don't understand."

She knew this would happen. She explained patiently.

After she explained, she nodded in agreement. "I will do what you ask, my lady, but will he really want to be trained by me?" Catherine asked her. "Sasuke will not say no; he wants to get stronger, so he'll take any kind of training that's offered to him. I think you would be a good fit to train him." She absorbed everything she said. "I will do it as soon as possible." She dismissed Catherine as she left the room. In time, she could see Sasuke asking Rhea for even more training. Rhea can offer him the kind of training that he would desire. She knows his desire for revenge was what was motivating him; she would help him in whatever way she can to a point. She would not let Sasuke become a pawn of Konoha. She feels in her heart that he would be better served with the Church of Seiros, where he would have purpose beyond revenge. If he should have children, they would be protected.

The last Uchiha would become a Knight of Seiros; she knew that it was a certainty, given the way things were going between Sasuke and the girl in the Blue Lions.

---

Dorothea was wondering what this was about; something was on Ingrid's mind. Something was bothering her. She would never request that they have privacy, especially in her own quarters, unless it was truly serious.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Dorothea, I—" Ingrid couldn't form the words.

"What's bothering you, Ingrid? You've been acting weird lately. This isn't the first time you wanted to talk to me. The last few times we did, we barely said anything. What's going on?" Dorothea asked her.

"Naruto is our friend, right?" Ingrid asked. Dorothea thought that was not the question she was asking; she was asking something else — it was a rhetorical question.

"Of course he is, and so is Hinaa, but that's not what you're asking, is it?" Dorothea was wondering what she was getting at.

"My mind is a mess. My heart's being pulled in three places," Ingrid said, which caused Dorothea to look at her with shock. She did not want to have this kind of conversation again; she wanted to try to move on from their breakup two years ago.

"I don't want to reopen old wounds, Ingrid, please," Dorothea said.

"I can't help what my heart feels. I thought I could control it. I thought I could bury it, but I can't," Ingrid said.

"What is it that you're saying?" Dorothea asked.

"I'm in love with him, Dorothea. I can't control how I feel," Ingrid confessed. She did not need this right now. No, she couldn't deal with this right now; she did not want to ruin their friendship with Naruto and Hinata. They had to be supportive, even if it hurt.

"They are friends, Ingrid. I don't want to ruin what friendship we have with them," Dorothea said, trying to hide her own feelings.

"You feel envious when you see Hinata with him, don't you? You love him too, don't lie to me," said Ingrid, trying to remain calm. She held her ex's hands.

"Even if I did, it doesn't matter. Hinaa's happiness is what matters to me, and so does Naru's. I would hurt myself before I would hurt either one of them," Dorothea said. This shocked Ingrid.

"You're in love with both of them, aren't you?" Ingrid asked, shocked. Dorothea turned away.

"What good will it do for me to admit it? They're both out of my reach; you are out of my reach. The very fact that we have to be friends just to even have a relationship at all—I don't get to have the people I love love me back," Dorothea admitted.

"You know I didn't want to break up with you. You know that, right?" Ingrid asked. Dorothea knew that.

"I still love you even now. That's why my heart is so confused right now. How can I love three people?" Ingrid asked.

"I don't know. I can't control my feelings towards them any more than you can. We have to be supportive towards them, even if it hurts us both. They deserve happiness; they both do, after the hell they've both been through," Dorothea said. She didn't know completely what their childhoods were like due to them not wanting to talk about it, but she had an idea, and she didn't want to break up their happy relationship just so she could be selfish.

Even if it hurt, even if they were both in pain tomorrow, she felt Ingrid's lips on hers—the love she feels towards her ex still, and the love she feels towards Naruto and Hinata from Konoha. It would be much easier if she could just wish away her feelings, but in some ways, that would be worse. No matter how many times they did this, no matter how many times she made love to her ex-lover, it still wasn't painful when it was over. Her greatest desire was to be happy, but she didn't think she would ever have it.

She felt her lover remove her clothing. Dorothea didn't pay attention as she did the same to her lover. Both of them were as naked as the day they were born. Ingrid had a look of love and lust on her face. She kissed her on the neck, knowing that this would cause them both pain later. She ignored it. She needed this right now.

Despite the pleasure she was feeling with her body as she felt Ingrid grope her breast and she felt her lover insert her fingers in and out of her vagina, despite the pleasure her body was feeling, in her begging her to go faster, the pain emotionally could not go away. Making love to Ingrid at this moment was bittersweet. As soon as it was over, they would have to go back to being friends again.

"Oh God, please don't stop," Dorothea said as she felt her lover continue to put her fingers in and out. Usually, it's Dorothea who is the dominant one when they're ever engaged in sexual activity together. Considering it was Ingrid who was in need of emotional support this time, she decided to let her have her way. She felt Ingrid's fingers go in and out. No matter how many times she felt it, it never seemed to be amazing to her how good Ingrid was with her hands.

"Oh fuck," Dorothea said as Ingrid continued to go faster. She was trying to savor the moment. She didn't want it to end so soon. Considering how often they are intimate, she wanted it to last as long as possible. As if the goddess herself cursed, she cummed faster than she wanted to. She felt tears fall. She didn't want this moment with Ingrid to end. She wanted it to continue. The taller woman took control of the situation. Ingrid allowed her to take control. Dorothea spread her legs and put her tongue in her womanhood. Ingrid grabbed onto the sheets and moaned.

"Oh God." Ingrid turned her face to the right and left, tears were falling. She didn't want this feeling to stop. She didn't want this moment with Dorothea to stop. She wanted it to go on forever, but she knew it wouldn't. Whenever Dorothea pleasured her in her vagina, it never lasted for long, no matter how many times she tried to hold on. She was too good, which is why Dorothea always went slow. She was sensitive in that region.

Her tongue went in and out. It felt better than her fingers. Whenever she did this with her lover, she forgot that they were friends and briefly indulged in the fantasy that they were what they once were. She begged her lover to go a little faster. As much as she didn't want it to end, she didn't want it to go too slow either. But all reality, it wasn't that she cummed too quickly. It felt too quick for her. She was feeling her going in and out for at least 10 minutes. She wanted it to last for an eternity. She didn't want her first love to stop making love to her. She wanted it to last forever, but she knew it couldn't last forever. Nothing does.

She was getting close to reaching her limit. She didn't want to reach her limit. She prayed to the goddess to give her more time, just a little bit more time. She said. As if the goddess listened, she was granted her request. She went a little faster. She felt her tongue in the deepest depths of her womb. She didn't know how Dorothea managed to do it. She had resisted screaming due to how loud her moans were. She had to cover her mouth so as not to wake everyone up in the monastery who were currently sleeping.

The tears would not stop dropping. It was about to end, and they had to go back to being friends instead of what she truly wanted. She screamed as she released. She collapsed. Dorothea went next to her. They covered each other with the bed's blankets. Neither one of them could say anything because they knew what the other was thinking. They didn't have to say anything.

"Even though it hurts like hell every time it's over, I don't want to stop. I wish." Ingrid didn't get a chance to finish.

"I know. I wish. I can barely handle these feelings too, but I can't. Love like that doesn't go away." Dorothea said.

"I was told earlier today I'd be sharing the man I love and a woman with two people I have no idea what that means. Part of me didn't want to believe it, and part of me wants to hope, but I don't want to ruin our friendship. I'd rather have that than not have anything." Ingrid said, thinking about Naruto and Hinata.

"I don't believe in fate, Ingrid. I refuse to believe it." Dorothea replied.

"We both love them. We can't control that. We still love each other as well. What do we do? Do we just bury our feelings, act like nothing happened, just like we do every time we get intimate with each other? We go on about our lives like things are still the same?" Ingrid asked, wanting to know, hoping for something, anything.

"They're too good for us, Ingrid. Naru and Hina. They don't deserve to have their lives torn apart because of our selfishness." Dorothea said, not wanting to budge on the subject. She was right. Ingrid knew she was. It would be the right thing to do to let them go, to accept the pain that they're both going through. There was nothing more painful than being in love with someone and not having those feelings returned. Dorothea, she does love her, and still does, but they can't pursue their relationship because of the damn crest system.

"I wish I wasn't born with a crest." Ingrid said.

"You're starting to sound like Mercedes." Dorothea said.

"She's right. Having a crest is a curse, not a blessing. If I had a crest, I'd be able to be with the people I love, but I can't. I have to carry on the family name." Ingrid said, bearing her face into Dorothea's chest.

"Even if it hurts saying this, because I know we will have to act like nothing happened tomorrow, I love you, Dorothea." Ingrid said.

"I love you too," Dorothea replied. They both fell asleep. For now, indulging in their desires of being more than friends. When they wake up, they'll have to go back as if nothing happened. Little does Ingrid know how her life will change tomorrow.

---

That kind of ended on an angsty note. Then again, I wanted to try something different. Ingrid and Dorothea, their relationship at this stage of the story, is friends with benefits. I never wrote an angsty sex scene before, so yeah, hopefully, I've gotten better at writing these things. I am nervous every time I post a sex scene for that very reason.

*Spoilers for those who have not read the original version; skip this note if you don't want to be spoiled.*

Unlike the original version, I wanted to develop the relationship between Ingrid and Dorothea first, and then Naruto and Hinata, before I have the four enter a relationship together. This is the main ship of this fanfiction. I wanted to give more emphasis to developing the main ship rather than write shit and hope it sticks. There will be a lot more changes from here on out for those who've read the original version. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil the new story beats I'm going to be adding in the upcoming chapters. Anyway, see you next time with a rewrite of my favorite chapter in the original: the shy girls squad.