Bakugo had been watching all night as Naruto and Midoriya hit it off. It was annoying. The blonde idiot had barely met Deku, and now they were acting like childhood besties? He couldn't comprehend it. How could someone who literally wrecked their city be trusted? What the hell was the Hero League thinking?! What was All Might thinking?
What if they were villains undercover? What if they worked for All For One?
Yeah, it was a stretch, but after getting kidnapped, Bakugo had learned not to trust so easily. Still, even if that wasn't the case, something about those two felt... off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his gut told him they weren't to be trusted.
A chill ran down his spine, but he refused to acknowledge it as fear. He wasn't like everyone else, he was special. That's what he'd been told his whole life.
Then his heart skipped.
Blondie and Deku were gone.
"That bastard!" he hissed, ready to bolt out the door and track them down—
Then laughter echoed down the hallway.
Bakugo froze. Deku? Laughing like that? The little pebble barely ever laughed for real, let alone like this. He'd spent years around him, he would know.
He waited, listening as their voices faded past his door. Peeking outside, he saw Naruto sauntering with his arms folded behind his head, while Deku clutched his notebook to his chest, practically stumbling from laughing so hard.
Something about it made Bakugo's stomach twist.
He didn't care what Blondie or the emo guy did—he'd never trust them.
Sasuke let the night air settle around him, the cool breeze stayed ruffling his hair as he meditated on the rooftop. Up here, in his private little spot, he could finally think.
His mind wandered back home, to the village. He had left in the worst way possible, and he couldn't stop wondering how everyone was doing. Not that he'd ever admit it, but inside, he felt like he was cracking apart.
And, honestly? He felt guiltier than Naruto about all this.
If he had just stayed away, that Ōtsutsuki wouldn't have followed him. Naruto wouldn't have been dragged into this mess. Their arrival wouldn't have thrown this entire world into chaos.
He sighed, staring at the stars.
Iwonder how Sakura's doing…
A tiny rustle caught his attention.
Sasuke smirked. The stalker was doing a terrible job at sneaking up on him. But hey, he wouldn't judge. Maybe that was his best.
"Just stop the charade and have a seat," Sasuke said suddenly.
A sharp intake of breath. Gotcha.
A moment later, Todoroki sighed in defeat, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked over and sat down a few meters away.
Sasuke could tell. This kid had been wanting to talk to him for a while.
It was obvious.
Maybe it was the arm. Maybe it was the eye. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, Todoroki had questions. But neither of them spoke, the silence stretching between them like some kind of test to see who would crack first.
Sasuke chuckled.
Todoroki's head snapped toward him.
"I just felt bad for you," Sasuke said, sitting up to meet his gaze. His purple eye gleamed in the moonlight. "If we kept this up, you wouldn't get to ask your question, and I'd just go to bed, leaving you sitting here like an idiot."
Todoroki frowned. "How'd you know I wanted to ask something?"
Sasuke deadpanned. "Why else would you be here? To share your cold soba with me?"
Todoroki stiffened.
Because yes, he had been eating soba right before coming up here. And yes, he had left some leftovers to eat later.
But there was no way in hell this guy should've known that.
Sasuke smirked. "Didn't think so."
Sasuke sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. "So, what's your question?"
Todoroki hesitated for a second. "Why do... you and Uzumaki only have one arm?" He wasn't stupid. Naruto kept his bandaged arm tucked away, but it was clearly prosthetic.
Sasuke raised a brow, glancing at his own missing limb. He held his hand up, flexing his fingers as if remembering something distant. "It's... a long story. But to put it simply, Naruto and I had a disagreement."
Todoroki blinked. "A disagreement cost you your arms?"
Sasuke smirked. "It's simple. You have friends, and sometimes you don't see eye to eye. So you fight it out."
It was obvious Sasuke was holding back details, but the answer was enough.
"I see..." Todoroki said.
"Good. Now it's my turn."
Todoroki frowned, caught off guard. He hadn't expected Sasuke to be interested in anything about him. But with the way the Uchiha's dark gaze burned into him, there was no avoiding it.
Sighing, he gestured for Sasuke to go ahead.
"Why do you have heterochromatic hair and eyes?"
Todoroki exhaled sharply. Of all the things to ask, this was pretty tame—but fair, considering his own question.
"I'm the result of a Quirk marriage." He glanced at Sasuke, checking if he understood. The older man nodded. "My father 'created' me out of his obsession with surpassing All Might. To him, I exist for one purpose, to be stronger than the former No. 1."
He exhaled, his voice quieter now. "He isolated me from my siblings, my mother, everyone. His training was... relentless. When my mother tried to protect me, he—" His voice cracked. "He hit her."
Silence stretched between them.
Todoroki hadn't meant to say that much.
Sasuke didn't react outwardly, but Todoroki could feel the weight of his stare, processing every word.
"Do you hate him?" Sasuke finally asked.
Todoroki's fists clenched. That was answer enough.
Sasuke hummed in understanding. "Your father reminds me of a comrade's. Similar, but... one was worse."
Todoroki scoffed. "So, a jerk too?"
Sasuke's expression darkened. "I'm not sure I'd call a father who tried to kill his son six times for being too powerful just a jerk."
Todoroki inhaled sharply.
Sasuke leaned forward, locking eyes with him. "You might have a shit dad, but that doesn't mean you'll become him. If everything you do is just to piss him off, then you're not defying him, you're just being a rebellious teenager."
Todoroki stiffened.
"What you need," Sasuke continued, "is a strong will of your own. And someone who can support it when the time comes." He stood up, hands in his pockets. "Your father is still stronger than you. For now. So focus on surpassing him your way."
Todoroki watched as he walked off.
Sasuke paused at the exit, glancing back with the barest hint of a smirk. "Maybe next time we'll have soba. But I like mine hot."
Then he was gone, leaving Todoroki alone with his thoughts.
No one had ever advised him like that before. Sasuke wasn't just telling him to fight his father, he was telling him to choose who he wanted to be.
And for the first time, Todoroki knew exactly what he needed to do.
....
The next day, Class 1A gathered at TDL for their provisional license training. Aizawa, Midnight, Ectoplasm, and Cementos explained their focus on developing ultimate moves.
Of course, Iida immediately raised his hand, asking what counted as an "ultimate move."
Midnight's dark blue eyes flickered toward Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, why don't you tell the class what you think an ultimate move is?"
All eyes turned to Sasuke.
Naruto smirked. He already knew how this was gonna go.
Sasuke exhaled, barely looking up. "A flawless attack that can't be easily countered. One that gives the opponent almost no chance of winning."
Midnight smiled. "That's correct, but ultimate moves aren't always attacks." She winked at him, making Mineta and Kaminari glare daggers in his direction.
"For example," she continued, "Iida's Recipro Burst is strong enough to be considered an ultimate move."
Iida straightened with pride.
Aizawa sighed. "From now on, you'll undergo intensive training. Develop your ultimate moves. And do something about your hero suits to compensate for your quirks' growth." He narrowed his eyes.
"Be very Plus Ultra about it."
"Yes sir!"
....
Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side, watching the students push themselves to develop their ultimate moves. Everyone was intensely focused, determined and sweaty.
"Hey, Naruto."
Naruto turned at the familiar voice and broke into a grin. "Deku! What's up?"
"I just finished upgrading my suit." Midoriya scanned them both. "Where are your suits?"
"They're not ready yet," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Aizawa-ojichan said they'll be done by tomorrow, y'know."
Midoriya chuckled. He knew Aizawa wouldn't appreciate being called "ojichan" behind his back.
"So," Naruto continued, "have you worked on your ultimate move yet?"
"Yeah! I call it Shoot Style!" Midoriya beamed with excitement.
Aizawa, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, allowed a small, pleased smile. Midoriya's come a long way since then. He's no longer so weighed down by doubt.
He glanced at the other students. They've all grown.
Not far from them, Bakugo took a slow, deep breath, focusing his explosions in the center of his palm. Then, shaping his other hand into an "O," he pressed it over the center and fired. The explosion extended outward in a focused, high-speed blast.
"AP Shot!" Bakugo shouted as the attack pierced through the wall of his terrain.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Midoriya turned in time to watch him cackle like a madman.
"Man, that guy's really something," Naruto said, grinning as he nudged Sasuke. "Reminds me of you as a little kid."
Sasuke scoffed. "That kid's nothing like me."
Midoriya smiled at the banter. "You know, Kacchan—"
CRACK.
A chunk of debris broke loose from the wall, plummeting toward them.
Midoriya didn't hesitate. His body moved on instinct, propelling himself upward with One for All. He twisted midair, bringing his leg down in a sharp kick. The debris shattered instantly.
Naruto's eyes widened before he grinned. "So that's Shoot Style, huh?"
"Yeah." Midoriya landed smoothly, flashing a proud smile.
"That was really cool!"
Sasuke only let out a quiet sound of approval, but his eyes held a flicker of interest.
"Oi, watch yourselves, idiots!" Bakugo barked.
"Sorry, Kacchan!" Midoriya called back.
"Hmph." Bakugo grunted but didn't argue further.
Midoriya turned back to Naruto and Sasuke. "Have you guys worked on your ultimate moves yet?"
Before either could answer, Ectoplasm and his clones launched a surprise attack. Sasuke and Naruto effortlessly dodged, their reflexes too fast for the strike to land.
Ectoplasm remained unfazed, his grin stayed in place. "Standing around won't cut it. Every student must participate." He turned to Midoriya. "That includes you, Midoriya."
"H-hai!" Midoriya nodded, quickly heading back to training.
Naruto scratched his cheek. "Ah, y'see, Ectopops—"
Ectopops?
"—I'm not really sure my ultimate move is safe for indoor practice."
Ectoplasm tilted his head. "This is a Superhero training gym. Anything can happen."
Naruto held a confused expression before it morphed into a wide grin. "Okay!" He cracked his knuckles. "Let's give them an ultimate move then, Sasuke!"
Sasuke scoffed, already walking away. "Don't tell me what to do, loser."
Naruto shouted a string of obscenities at his retreating back in response.
....
Naruto faced Ectoplasm on the custom terrain Cementos had built. His eyes sparkled, facing a clone-based Quirk. Oh, this was his kind of fight. He summoned his own clones, grinning as they charged in. But then, Ectoplasm casually spit out more from his mouth, multiplying like a never-ending nightmare.
Naruto blinked. "Dude, that's kinda nasty."
Ectoplasm didn't even react to that. "Uzumaki, if you keep burning energy like this, you'll run out of stamina."
"Oh?" Naruto blinked and his eyes shifted to orange. "Guess I'll just have to finish this fast, huh, Ectopops?"
Meanwhile, Sasuke moved like a ghost through the battlefield, his Sharingan glowing red as he danced between clones, countering with pinpoint precision. To him, fighting multiple opponents wasn't a challenge, this was just another Tuesday.
From the sidelines, Class 1-A watched in stunned silence.
"Uh… is it just me, or does he already know what they're gonna do before they do it?" Ochaco muttered.
Shoto narrowed his eyes. "He's incredible."
"I need to know how they do this!" Izuku materialized beside them, scribbling furiously in his notebook.
On the battlefield, Naruto laughed. "C'mon, Ectopops! This is too easy!" He threw a punch, barely missing a clone, but shattering a massive rock behind it like it was made of sugar glass. Ectoplasm sweatdropped.
I have made a grave mistake.
Sasuke leaped into the air, his fingers forming quick seals. Fire exploded from his mouth, consuming Ectoplasm's clones in an instant. His Sharingan locked onto the survivors as he landed atop a broken pillar.
The air around Naruto picked up violently as wind chakra funneled into a growing sphere in his palm. The students shielded their eyes as the jutsu formed into a massive, spinning shuriken.
"Yo, is that spinning?" Denki squinted.
"That thing looks dangerous," Kirishima said, shielding his face.
"And loud," Jiro added, wincing at the high pitched screech.
On the opposite side, Sasuke lifted his hand. Thunder rumbled in response. A serpentine bolt of lightning coiled in the clouds, outside the building then dove downward with terrifying speed.
"Kirin."
"Wind Style: Rasen-Shuriken!"
The gym exploded.
When the dust settled, the entire ceiling was gone. Chunks of debris smoldered. The once-pristine training area looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
The students gawked at the sheer devastation.
"…What the hell just happened?"
"I think I finally get what he meant about 'not suitable for indoors.'"
Naruto stood in the middle of the wreckage, hands behind his head, grinning like a kid caught with a stolen cookie. "Sooo, what do ya think, Ectopops?"
Aizawa shot a soul crushing glare at Ectoplasm. The pro hero immediately looked away, reevaluating all his life choices.
Right on cue, Vlad King and Class 1-B strolled in, completely oblivious.
"Aizawa, time's up. Class B's turn in the gym."
"You can have it," Aizawa deadpanned, already walking away.
Vlad scoffed. "What? You still have ten min—"
Kendo tapped his arm and pointed.
Vlad followed her gaze. Stared at the wreckage. Slowly processed that there was no gym to train in.
"…What?"
A soft, nervous laugh broke the silence.
Class 1-B turned to see a tall blonde kid grinning sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ehehe… uh, my bad! Sasuke and I were training, and, uh, this happened." He laughed heartily. "But hey, don't worry!" He shot Ectoplasm a thumbs-up. "This is a superhero gym, and anything can happen, y'know!"
Class 1-B girls immediately started swooning.
Katsuki, who had been holding in his rage this whole time, finally snapped.
His entire body shook with pure, unfiltered fury. And fear.
These two were absolute menaces.
Sasuke had just stepped out of his dorm, fresh from a relaxing shower, hair still slightly damp. He planned to head up to the rooftop and maybe run into Todoroki again. Not that he was looking for him or anything. That would be ridiculous. It's not like he suddenly craved social interaction. Was this what getting old felt like?
As he turned the corner, he came face to face with a pair of glasses reflecting the light, at this he released a sigh.
Ah, shit.
"Uchiha-san," Iida greeted, already radiating student council energy. "Come with me."
Before Sasuke could protest, Iida physically dragged him against his will toward the common room like a mom hauling a misbehaving child out of a supermarket. Sasuke considered resisting, but that required energy, and frankly, he wasn't in the mood.
.....
Inside, the entire class—plus Naruto—was gathered, chatting away.
"Sasuke!"
Bright blue eyes locked onto him. Naruto looked way too excited to see him, which meant trouble.
Sasuke sighed. "Don't make this worse, idiot." Hands shoved in his pockets, he took a seat across from Naruto.
"C'mon, Sasuke," Naruto grinned, waving off the insult. "What's so bad about meeting new people? You haven't even tried talking to them."
Sasuke and Shoto both opened their mouths to say something but closed them at the same time.
Naruto had a point, and they didn't like that.
Sasuke finally glanced at the class, giving them the flattest, driest:
"Hi."
And just like that, the entire class lit up.
"HI!"
He had to suppress a smirk. They reminded him a little too much of Team 7 and the Konoha rookies.
Then, as expected, someone had to ruin the moment.
"Hey, lady-stealer, what gives! You just had to be so handsome that even Midnight-sensei—"
Iida, immediately clamped his hands over the offender's mouth. "I apologize for his actions," he said like he wasn't holding him hostage.
Meanwhile, Tsu turned to Naruto. "Hey, you and Sasuke were in the principal's office earlier. Did that go well?"
"Oh, that." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, Nezu wasn't happy. Said our moves were too, uh… what was that word he used again?"
"Catastrophic," Sasuke deadpanned.
"Yeah! That one!"
"So, what's the plan?" Kirishima asked.
Naruto shrugged. "We'll just use the base forms of our attacks. Should be enough."
"Base forms?" Midoriya perked up. "You mean to say there were base forms?"
"Yup." Naruto grinned, extending his hand. "My Rasenshuriken started off as just a Rasengan."
In seconds, wind picked up, swirling around a glowing blue sphere in Naruto's palm. The class collectively gasped. Izuku, of course, was already scribbling furiously in his notebook.
That must have taken a lot of training…
"Oh hell yeah, it did!" Naruto deactivated the jutsu with a proud grin.
"Huh? How did you hear me?" Izuku blinked.
Naruto looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "You said it took a lot of training, and I answered… or did I just hear things?"
Izuku's eyes widened in horror.
He'd muttered out loud.
The entire class exploded into laughter while Izuku buried his face in his notes, utterly mortified.
The conversation moved on quickly, with Kaminari bringing up something about their hero costumes arriving soon.
"They mean the support gear," Sasuke clarified, already tired.
"Ohhh, those." Naruto blinked. "Yeah, we told Aizawa-ojichan we didn't need 'em."
"YOU WHAT?!"
The entire class lost it.
"But without gadgets, how will you use your Quirks properly?" Iida gestured wildly.
Naruto just tilted his head. "Uh… we've been using them fine without gear our whole lives?"
The class was now collectively staring at them like they were creatures in a zoo.
"Well," Kaminari finally admitted, "I do need my support gear."
"Yeah, because your Quirk fries you along with your opponent," Jiro snickered.
"Hey, it's not that bad—"
"Bro, the last time you short circuited, you looked like this." Kirishima held out his thumbs and crossed his eyes.
The class howled with laughter.
Sasuke, however, simply crossed his arms. "Your Quirk has a side effect. You should focus on controlling it instead of depending on tools."
"Easier said than done."
"I could train you," Sasuke said before he fully processed the words.
The room went silent.
Kaminari's eyes sparkled. "FOR REAL?! You'll teach me that lightning dragon thing?!"
"…It's called Kirin."
"Yeah! That! Can I learn it?!"
The class was now collectively staring at them
Sasuke stared at him. He wasn't sure how he got here. He wasn't sure how to get out of it.
"I'll think about it."
"SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?!"
Naruto grinned and Sasuke instantly regretted everything.
"Hey, Naruto-kun," Mina smirked. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Naruto, who had been completely unprepared for the subject change immediately turned red.
"Your face says everything," Ochaco grinned. "Tell us about her!"
Naruto chuckled, rubbing his neck. "She's kind, smart, a great cook… and she's strong!"
What's her Quirk?"
"She's got special eyes." Naruto gestured to his face. "She can see everything, no blind spots at all."
Mineta's eyes practically glowed. "Ohhh? Everything?"
Sato casually clamped a hand over Mineta's mouth before he could say anything regrettable.
"Yeah, and she's insane at hand to hand combat," Naruto grinned at the memory. "She hit me once, and everyone said I was out cold for a day and a half!"
"Damn, she must be strong," Sato muttered, impressed.
Izuku, meanwhile, was furiously scribbling notes, eyes practically glowing. "So many new things to analyze…!"
Then, Tsu tilted her head. "Naruto, was she your first kiss?"
The color drained from Naruto's face like someone had just pulled his plug.
Before he could stammer out a response, Ashido waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, come on. A guy like Naruto? He's probably kissed a ton of girls before his current girlfriend. She might not even be his fourth."
Naruto broke into a cold sweat. How was she so accurate?!
The class honed in like sharks smelling blood.
"Come on, Naruto, spill!"
"Who was it?!"
Naruto gently swatted at the air with his hands as he rolled his eyes. "Nope, not happening. Y'all are too nosy."
Ochaco suddenly perked up, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, did I forget to mention? One of my quirks is mind reading."
Naruto flinched so hard it looked like someone smacked him upside the head. "IT WASN'T SASUKE, I SWEAR!"
The room went silent before everyone gasped out loud.
"Ha! So it was Sasuke—wait."
The class exploded into chaotic screaming, partly in horror and partly in amusement.
"You kissed Sasuke?"
"By accident! It was an accident!" Naruto screeched, his voice cracking.
Sasuke groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You moron. How can you be fooled that easily?"
Naruto gagged just thinking about it. "Chill on me, I'm getting PTSD."
Eijiro folded his arms, grinning. "Okay, so then, who's… your second kiss? Don't tell me it was—"
"It was an accident, oh my god!" Naruto groaned again, now full-body convulsing.
Sasuke looked deeply, profoundly exhausted. "Can you stop being so dramatic?"
Denki smirked. "Bro… does that mean your girlfriend is your—"
Naruto sighed in defeat. "Sixth."
Denki clapped him on the back like he was his new life coach. "Damn, you're a scorer. Gimme tips."
The class broke into laughter, and Sasuke officially decided he was never showing up to class again.
"UZUMAKI NARUTO!"
Naruto blinked as a loud, familiar voice sliced through the chatter. Turning, he locked eyes with a scowling, spiky haired blonde stomping toward him like a storm cloud with legs.
"Oh. Bakugo, right?"
"Tomorrow. Combat training. You and me, we're fighting," Bakugo barked, pointing a finger at him like he was issuing a royal decree. His red eyes flicked to the brooding figure beside Naruto. "And you too, Uchiha. I'll get to you after I crush this idiot."
Sasuke barely reacted, just giving him the blankest, most uninterested stare humanly possible.
That seemed to piss Bakugo off even more.
"Tch. Just be ready to get your ass beat tomorrow," he snapped before storming off to bed.
Naruto whistled. "What's his deal?"
Tsu answered. "That's Bakugo Katsuki, the strongest in our class, so he's got a pole up his butt."
Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "He beat Shoto and Izuku?" His gaze flickered toward Izuku, who looked like he'd rather disappear into the floor.
A slow grin spread across Naruto's face. "Alright, I'll fight him."
The whole class blinked at him.
Sasuke side eyed him, instantly picking up on what Naruto was doing.
"I like a challenge," Naruto declared, with an excited glint in his eye.
Somewhere in the distance, Bakugo probably felt that and got even madder.