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CHAPTER 101: Heroes are meant to be seen- Soldiers are meant to be silent
It was the final weeks of December, several days before the end of the term. The bell rang for the end of that class, and Aizawa was quick to dismiss himself while everyone was waiting for their next teacher. Ochaco and Tsuyu approached Sakura with their phones held out. She could see there was excitement in their eyes.
"Sakura, you need to see this."
Tsuyu swiped over her phone, coming to a video. It was the interview she had done with Shouto and Katsuki. This caught the attention of a few more classmates, and they gathered over to watch as well. Some mumbling about already seeing it.
While Sakura had been the only one to avoid it. Since it had been an hour-long interview, and while her classmates appeared entertained in watching, actually performing the interview had been an ordeal that didn't feel worth repeating, never mind watching.
"You were all there, why would you watch it?"
"We wanted to see the final product," shrugged Hanta.
"Did you two watch it?" Sakura asked Shouto and Katsuki to call.
"No, I haven't seen it."
"Didn't these morons say they'd email the link? There's nothing in my inbox."
Denki muttered, "You probably have it in your spam."
It was easy to believe that Katsuki would automatically have every unapproved email address delivered there.
They watched the video. It started the same as real time, same questions, same answers, and even cutting out a few telling outbursts, at least for Katsuki's part, but that was just the beginning. The news outlet had cut and arranged the footage to make it sound like Sakura was some kind of mediator between Katsuki and Shouto.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
They'd kept the bit about Shouto saying he and Sakura had dated.
Sakura felt her brow twitch. This was going to be on an official channel, on the internet, for everyone to see forevermore. Because, as Hitoshi had once told her, once something is posted online, it will remain there even after you're gone.
"Oh no," Sakura muttered, sinking lower in her seat.
"Oh yes," Mina said, almost too gleefully behind her, until Kyoka pinched her side.
The interview continued playing. The reporter asked a question about their future hero prospects, whether any of them saw themselves as potential candidates for the next Symbol of Peace.
"Here's the part where Bakugo totally flips!" Denki announced, pointing at the screen.
On screen, the reporter turned to Sakura. "There's been some speculation online about you potentially being the next All Might."
"Uh…"
"Like hell that's happening!" Katsuki's voice exploded from the speakers; the camera even shook a little. "I'm not gonna let her get in front of me again!"
The reporter pivoted, "Oh, so you want to keep your classmate safe? That's very admirable."
"What?"
"It's understandable, given what happened in Kamino. The trauma of seeing classmates in danger must have-
Sakura lowered her head, shaking it slowly. "He nearly burned the couch after that question."
On screen, Katsuki's face was cycling through rage, confusion, and the dawning realization that anything he said would be twisted into something he didn't mean.
"You are NOT upstaging me, Fivehead!"
"You'd have to be on the stage for me to do that, Kacchan," Sakura replied calmly from her seat, not even looking at him.
Sakura covered her eyes, unable to bear the sight of herself anymore. "This is actually embarrassing to watch."
The video then cut to a news segment, with different reporters in a studio, discussing the interview.
"These newly licensed heroes-in-training are just the sort of fresh faces we can rely on," one anchor said, smiling at the camera. "We eagerly await the day they can become full-fledged pro heroes, so that hopefully we won't see a repeat of the Deika City tragedy."
"It's been nine days since that disaster, where twenty-nine individuals pushed Deika to the brink of destruction in less than an hour."
Footage rolled, aerial shots of a city that looked like it had been hit by a natural disaster. Buildings collapsed, streets cratered, entire blocks reduced to rubble. The destruction was comprehensive, but somehow, Sakura could see a pattern in the destruction.
"This doesn't seem like your run-of-the-mill destruction," she murmured.
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
Sakura studied the pattern of decay spreading across the buildings in the footage, the way everything seemed to crumble from a central point outward, the particular quality of disintegration.
"If I didn't know any better," she whispered, making sure only Izuku could hear, "I'd say this was Tomura's quirk."
Izuku's entire body went rigid. "What?"
"Calm down." Sakura put a hand on his arm. "I'm not saying it is. If he could do something on this level, our last encounter with him at the USJ would've ended very differently. Besides, they said it was a group of people. Twenty-nine individuals."
"That's right, although they haven't identified a single person." Tenya chided in.
The clip kept rolling, discussing how some theorised that the attack was a deliberate attempt to shake society's fate in the heroes. But when they switched to a few clips of civillians, who were directly affected by the attack, there were many positive uproars and praise towards the heroes.
"I still believe in heroes," one woman said, "They'll figure out who did this."
"We can't give up now. That's what the villains want."
"Heroes have always protected us. I trust they'll keep doing that."
"That's a surprise," Kyoka said from her desk. "Usually when something like Kamino happens, there's nothing but criticism."
"It's understandable," Momo said quietly. "People lost their homes and their lives in this attack. Along with... along with the Number One hero still being gone. They need something to believe in."
As if on cue, Midnight threw open the classroom door, followed by someone Sakura recognized from various hero news segments. A tall woman in a purple and white costume. Mt. Lady. A relatively new pro hero known for her Gigantification quirk.
"It might seem like the winds of good fortune are blowing our way," Midnight said, addressing the class as they scrambled back to their seats. "But if you stop and think about it, the flip side of all this positive coverage is actually coming from a sense of urgency. A response to danger."
"What's she doing here?" Minoru whispered.
"She's your guest lecturer," Midnight announced with a sweeping gesture. "Since you'll have more media exposure going forward, especially those of you with provisional licenses, we thought it best to bring in an expert."
Mt. Lady stepped forward, striking a pose. "Today we're talking about the media!" she announced. "And as a rising star, I'm the perfect hero to teach you how to work it."
..
..
..
They ended up having a stage set for mock interview training, and apparently, to make it feel more authentic, they were asked to put on their hero costumes. Mt. Lady stood with a microphone in her hand.
Shouto was the first to go up, while Mt. Lady came praising him about being amazing out there, and he just looked like a confused cat. The problem was that, because this was pretend, he didn't quite get the memo from the start, his naive nature showing through in ways that would've been endearing if they weren't also slightly concerning.
"Todoroki takes things so literally," Izuku whispered, smiling. He remembered when Shouto had conered him during the Sports Festival and asked if he was All Might's secret love child, after his keen observation of how similar his power was to the number one hero.
Sakura pursed her lips, "He's cute that way."
On stage, the mock interview ended with Shouto demonstrating his special moves, Heaven Piercing Ice Wall.
"Are we supposed to showcase our moves during interviews?" Kyoka asked, looking confused.
Mt. Lady nodded, pointing out towards the class. "It's not like everyone in the world knows who you are already! Your ultimate moves symbolize you. It's through those moves that people learn what you're capable of. What makes you-you."
"It's also how villains know what to expect when they see you," Sakura pointed out.
"Perhaps," Mt. Lady conceded with a shrug, "but you're heroes, not assassins. Transparency builds trust with the public."
"Not too long ago, she didn't care about anything except being on camera," Minoru muttered.
"People change," Shouta said. "Mt. Lady's not the only one who has. Every hero out there is being pulled up by the Number One hero's rising tide."
The class continued with everyone giving their grand introductions with eagerness. Sakura noticed it was as if they had time to prepare for this surprise class. Most of them had been dreaming about their debut speeches since childhood, refining catchphrases and poses in mirrors. Even if they wouldn't confess this to their classmates.
They explained the meaning behind their hero names, the inspiration, and what they hoped it would embody by the time they were out in the field as real pros.
Even Katsuki, surprisingly, earned praise for his approach, though he was still himself.
"I ain't gonna waste time on sound bites," he'd growled into the mock camera. "Just shut up and follow me."
"Aggressive but memorable!" Mt. Lady had declared. "It fits your brand!"
Then Izuku was pulled onto the stage. The moment he stepped under the lights, he turned as stiff as a board, his movements robotic, his words barely escaping his mouth in a mechanical manner.
"H-hey! That's great! Really great! So great! Hero work is great!"
Several people winced in sympathetic embarrassment.
Mt. Lady tried to help him relax by asking softball questions, but when she commented on how many of his moves seemed to be homages to All Might and asked if that was the hero he admired most, Izuku started rambling.
"...and his Detroit Smash is actually a variation of the basic strike, but the execution requires perfect timing and distribution of force across the knuckles, which is why the follow-through is so important, and when you consider the physics involved…"
"Midoriya," Midnight interrupted gently. "What about that move that bursts out of you? I heard you've made some progress with it."
That question, finally, seemed to ground him.
The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He held out his arm and concentrated. He could feel the energy wrapping around him, calmer than before, calmer than the first time it had burst out of him.
A black tendril came out of his forearm from under his clothing. It reached out and gently wrapped around a prop box on the stage, lifting it off the ground before setting it down again. While it wasn't the flashiest demonstration, it was enough to assure his classmates and teachers that he had finally gotten a reel on his quirk's new development, but very few knew the truth.
"I can control it better now," Izuku said. There was a hint of pride in his next statement. "Thanks to my training with Sakura."
"Oh, so you've got your class rep as your mentor?" Mt. Lady asked, her interest piqued. Izuku nodded, speaking nearly effortlessly now, forgoing his stage fright.
"Sakura has a lot of knowledge and gives all of us a lot of advice! She helps us a lot!"
Sakura almost chuckled. He sounded like a child praising their teacher for showing them how to spell their name. But that gleam, it was the same one she held for Tsunade.
Then it was Sakura's turn. Presentations weren't her favorite activity in the class for a while until she was older, until she had gained the confidence that came with improving her knowledge of things. But now she didn't feel any way about it.
"Alright, Sakura," Mt. Lady said, holding up the microphone to her face. "Give us your hero introduction!"
Sakura looked at At Mt. Lady, giving a sheepish expression, rubbing the back of her head, and sticking out her tongue. "Um, I don't really know how to do that. Sorry."
"I... see," Mt. Lady said, clearly trying to work with what she'd been given. "But when it comes to being a hero, you're not just fighting villains, you're assuring civilians that you're here to help them. You're here to serve. A catchphrase or introduction helps build that trust!
"Sounds about right," Sakura sighed, like someone agreeing that taxes were indeed necessary for society to function, but that didn't make them enjoyable.
"We'll work on that. "Anyway! Haruno, have you still not chosen a hero name?"
"I think my real name is doing just fine."
"Well, that's true!" Mt. Lady pointed, "After all, you're already a celebrity from your performances, starting with taking down that villain at the supermarket!"
"I nearly forgot about that," Sakura muttered.
"And then saving those people from the fire."
"I got expelled for that one."
Mt. Lady's momentum faltered. She glanced at Shouta as if to confirm whether this was actually true or some kind of joke.
"She was an unlicensed civilian," He said flatly, arms folded. "Not a hero. She broke approximately seventeen laws in counting thus far."
While their homeroom teacher didn't make many visible indications of agitation, they could always feel the shift, like a change in the direction of the wind, and right now it was starting to blow south.
Sakura scratched her cheek, with a rather impressed smile, "That many, huh?"
"Okay!" She clapped her hands loudly. "Let's get back on track! Haruno, what do you think about being called the next All Might?"
That question made her go silent, but Katsuki was basically glaring a hole through her skull.
"Who the hell keeps saying that?"
"My, my," Mt. Lady said with a knowing smile. "Is someone jealous?"
"Ha!" Katsuki's voice exploded from the audience. "She can keep her second-hand name! I'm the one who's gonna be at the top!"
"I keep telling you, Katsuki," Sakura said without turning around, "stop barking when you can't even bite."
"FIVEHEAD!"
"ANYWAY!" Midnight's voice cut through, "I think it's time to wrap up!"
Ms. Lady gave her review; the majority of Class A knew how to handle themselves in interviews, which was good. But there were clearly some students who needed significant work, especially before they graduated, because this was going to be a serious problem in their professional futures.
"Maybe," she said, looking pointedly between Sakura and Katsuki, "Some of you shouldn't interact with each other in the public eye."
"Couldn't agree more," Sakura said with a smile.
..
..
..
Classes resumed, and it seemed that the year was going to end with little event of note, that was, until Shouta made an announcement at the end of class that day.
"I'm sorry, Aizawa-sensei," Denki said, raising his hand slowly. "Could you say that again? I don't think I heard you right."
"Do I need to repeat myself, Kaminari?" Aizawa's voice was tired. "You'll be resuming your work studies soon. The heroes who worked with you previously have already been informed."
Of course, questions rose from this. They were going back to doing work studies. It was already out of turn for the school to let first years do work studies, and now they were going to have them on extension? The reason students were held back until their second year was so that the schools could prepare them for hero work.
"After everything that happened with the League of Villains," Momo said slowly, "it looks like they're taking more precautions. Perhaps they want us to gain experience early so that we're better prepared when we become pros."
"Ah, that must be it!" Tenya exclaimed. "A proactive approach to our education given the current climb of villain activity!"
Sakura scoffed slightly.
"What is it, Haruno?" Shouta asked.
Folding her arms, she leaned back in her chair, "It seems that even now, with their leader put away, everyone is still being pulled by the League of Villains."
"What do you mean?" Hanta asked.
Sakura shook her head, catching Aizawa's glare. "Perhaps our teacher should explain."
But Aizawa wouldn't say another word.
'It seems she's come to the same conclusion as Principal Nezu.'
They'd had a meeting about it, Shouta Nezu, the other UA faculty. Where they were informed, the commission had requested they restart work studies without warning, calling it "practical field testing."
Shouta had voiced his discontent with the situation entirely. He'd had to put his students into the deep end before they'd even learned how to dive properly. They'd done their best despite all the challenges, despite the scars, physical and mental, that they'd carry for the rest of their lives. And now they were being asked to go further out, to migrate to a whole other part of the sea where they'd encounter dangerous predators that would look at them like fresh meat before they'd even pulled off their kid gloves.
It angered him.
But if there was no choice, then all he could do was push them to prepare. Make them strong enough, skilled enough, aware enough to make this journey a thousand times over when they graduate.
Of course, he'd had a distinct feeling that something like this was going to happen. "Haruno. Stay behind."
..
..
..
When class ended and everyone filed out, Sakura remained. She stood and faced Shouta across the empty classroom, their eyes met without flinching. The erasure hero was used to prevent people from avoiding his gaze. Having the ability to take away what so many held dearest, their quirk, the one thing that made them feel special in a world where nothing was ordinary, tended to make people look away.
But she was the only one who could look him in the eye as if she had nothing to lose. Sometimes he didn't know if he should feel perturbed or admiring.
"Haruno," he said finally. "You need to stop."
"With what?"
"Your attitude. Don't forget you're only still here at UA because of the painstaking efforts that others have gone through to keep you here."
"I'm here because I don't have anything better to do with myself, Aizawa." Her tone was a flat note, glancing to the window, at the sky. "But that aside, why don't we get to the real reason you told me to stay behind? Seems logical to get to the point, right?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Haruno, you've been doing great so far. Helping your classmates, attending your therapy sessions, and following the guidelines we set. I don't want you to backslide."
"That's not what you called me here for. Say it, Aizawa. This is about the work studies."
"There is nothing going on. You shouldn't speculate."
"Speculate?" Sakura's voice sharpened. "Is that what you think I do? Because if that's so, then allow me to lay it all out how I see it."
She took a step forward.
"The hero course students, first years who weren't even supposed to hold their provisional licenses until next year at the earliest, are now being brought back out onto the field. After the incident with the Shie Hassaikai. After the League of Villains specifically targeted them. After Kamino. After the USJ. It's interesting how you say the dorm system was meant to keep us safe, when it looks to me like you're trying to weed out the possibility of a leak. And I find it most interesting that you're still hiding the truth from them. That you suspect we're being prepared for something."
Shouta's shoulders became taut along with the lines around his eyes. "It's dangerous to just assume things, Haruno."
"Assuming is the reason I'm still alive, Aizawa."
Sakura took a breath, and she moved back. "I don't care if you want me stepping out onto the field again. But if you're intent on making your students walk out into the real world, onto a real battlefield, you'd better inform them properly. Because I don't know who you think you're protecting by keeping them in the dark, but it's not them."
"Haruno." Shouta's face twisted in what looked like true rage for the first time. "Not another word of this."
Sakura started leaving the classroom, without so much as an echo in her step.
"You can't protect them, Aizawa," she said without turning around. "Not out there. And you can't help them by being half-hearted about it."
Her hand rested on the door frame.
"Either treat them like kids...or like the soldiers you're using them as."
Aizawa stood alone in the empty classroom, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (102, 103, 104, 105, 106)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (46, 47, 48)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter (38, 39, 40, 41)
-Through the Looking Glass chapter (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
THANKS FOR TUNING IN BUT NOW I'VE GOTTA TUNE OUT