Happy Chapter Day everyone!
"To be successful at anything you don't have to be special. You simply have to do what most people are not. Consistent, determined and willing to work for it."
Found this and thought about our special kunoichi, who put so much of herself on the line, that hasn't been explored yet.
Hope you enjoy this chapter
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CHAPTER 106 Return to School: New Year's show off
Biases follow all occupations, attached like a chain around your ankle, one you don't feel until it snags onto something. For heroes, it was the belief that all of them were available and ready to help all day, every day. For shinobi, it was the belief that all of them craved blood and battle, to the point that the best form of torture was to keep them stationary and action-less.
Sakura found that she could enjoy idling, especially after being tossed into another world after preventing the end of her own. That didn't make for light psychological effects, and demons were still whispering taunts when she least expected.
Sakura went through the rest of her work studies without much incident. Nothing exciting, nothing dangerous, just routine hospital rounds, and the occasional house call to stubborn heroes who thought they were too important for follow-up appointments. It gave her brain space to process. To settle.
But now the work studies were over, and they were back at UA for the new year. January had arrived, bringing with it new schedules, new expectations, and the looming reality that they were no longer brand-new first-years, figuring things out. They were experienced UA students, now, with provisional licenses and real hero work under their belts.
Sakura and Tenya stood at the front of Class 1-A, waiting for everyone to settle into their seats. Their classmates had only been gone a week, but Sakura could sense the subtle changes in their behaviors and movements. As if every movement was now an investment. The work studies impact clear.
Welcome back, everyone," Sakura said once the chatter had died down to a manageable level.
"And happy new year!" Tenya added, "Today's class will consist of a practical briefing session. We'll be sharing our accomplishments and challenges from our work studies. Let's head over to Ground Alpha for the exercise."
The class began gathering their things. They were filing toward the door when it slid open.
Shouta stood there, looking more exhausted than usual, which was saying something. They wondered if he was handling paperwork at 3am again (a group of class A tried to sneak out of the dorms at 3am and got detention)
His students were already heading out without needing further instruction, moving past him in an orderly stream toward the training grounds.
"Happy New Year, Aizawa-sensei!"
"You look tired, sensei!"
"Did you sleep at all?"
Aizawa just stood there, watching them pass with something that might have been surprise. Now his class was moving independently. Following their class reps. Showing initiative and organization that he definitely hadn't shown at the start of the year.
'When did they get so competent?' he thought, not entirely sure if he should be proud or worried that they no longer needed him to herd them.
Sakura was the last one out, pausing briefly at the doorway. "We've got this, sensei. You can catch up when you're ready."
Then she was gone too, jogging to catch up with the rest of the class.
Aizawa stood alone in the empty classroom for a moment.
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"How were your work studies with Recovery Girl?" Ochaco asked
The room was filled with the metallic sound of lockers opening and flickering sentences based around a similar topic, how was your work studies? They were going to Ground Alpha for demonstrations, but it seemed they were still giddy over what had been accomplished this week. Going out onto the field was a breathless exercise, exciting, but at the same time, there was less hesitation about danger. Sakura wanted to believe the reason was that they had overcome so much that their nerves had become steel.
"It was good," Sakura looked at Ochaco and noticed that she was carrying some new gauntlets, which were spherical and appeared sturdy. "You got new support items."
Ochaco opened onto slip over her arm and snapped it into place, "They're filled with some kind of wire, so I can move through the air easier."
It was similar to Izuku's black whip; perhaps she had taken inspiration from that. "That's impressive. I'm sure they'll come in handy in a fight, too."
"I'm not too sure about that," Ochaco looked down, "I might be able to use it as a capture weapon like Aizawa-sensei."
"You'll be surprised how much you can diversify an item in a fight. Problem is, you only really figure that out when you're in one."
Sakura put on her kunai bag, which she had filled with weapons. Unlike at home, she couldn't carry those around unless she was out on the field or officially licensed.
"You do know a lot about weapons, don't you, Sakura?" Momo concurred. Remembering how well she handled herself at the sports festival. To the point where she didn't even need to use her quirk.
"When you're doing something as dangerous as… being a hero, you should sharpen every skill you can. After all, when you're in a situation where you can't use your power, and you're backed against the wall, what can you do right?"
"When does any hero want to feel helpless?" asked Mina. Some of the girls were also admiring Ochaco's new support items. Kyoka picked it up and found herself hunched forward from the weight. She said it was filled with wire, but it had to put on a few extra kilograms. With Ochaco's quirk, however, it wasn't too much for her.
"Oh, Sakura!" Toru clapped in a sing-song voice, "Did you know there's a new article on you about how you helped that guy with the poison gas quirk?"
Pink brows furrowed. She hadn't talked to any press about the matter, and Chiyo only told her she had to deal with some complicated administration work afterward. But as far as she knew, none of them were sharing the story.
"What are you talking about?"
Toru held out her phone towards her, "It's the new update on your fan-page."
Right, she had forgotten about that. It was basically a documentary stalking all of her accomplishments and putting it out there for the whole world to see. She couldn't put a positive spin on the constant reminder that every move she made out in the public could be notarized like a report written in stone, permanent.
"Your interviews on here, too."
Sakura frowned, "Right, I forgot about this stuff."
"You gotta get used to the lime light, girl, after all, you're gonna be a hero."
They tried not to show it, but Sakura appreciated the efforts. She knew, and felt for that second, when the girl's breath would go still, and their eyes would attempt not to linger on the scarring she had piercing her skin from her chest to her back.
"Does it hurt, Kero?" Tsuyu asked as she zipped up her top.
"It's not the scar that hurts."
No, she didn't care for the sudden bursts of chest pains that would knock the wind out of her and feel like her heart was being crushed from the inside; she could handle that. What she hated most was the toll on her ego, and how it would take her back to the very moment she received it.
"Make sure you girls are strong enough not to get any."
She wouldn't want anyone to carry them around the way she had to.
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"I am here!" The announcement carried through the chilly air as the cotton candy machine ran in the background. That was the first thing everyone saw when they arrived at the field. The number one hero brewing sweets like a confectionery stand, when he was meant to be coaching and supervising them today.
Apparently, Shout was going to be unavailable for the rest of the day, and he had left campus.
"Come on, kids, let's see what you've learned."
"Today, you'll demonstrate what you learned during your work studies," Toshinori explained. "Show us your growth! And don't hold back."
They followed that instruction with thorough precision. An army of robots had been piled up for them to abuse, and no one was resisting. It was a stark contrast from the first time they'd faced off against robots for their entrance exams. But the same exercise, showing how far they had come.
Yuga and Toru worked together seamlessly, using his navel laser and her ability to bend light. Yuga had learned to focus his laser into a concentrated beam that functioned like a light-saber. He called it his "Navel Saber," while Toru directed reflected light to blind and disorient.
"Magnifique!" Yuga declared after slicing through three robots.
Mina had learned to wrap herself in her own acid, creating what she called "Acid Man" as her new ultimate move. The coating protected her from outside attacks while making her entire body an offensive weapon. When she hit something in that form, they got a full dose of her corrosive secretion.
Rikido and Mashirao had developed combination techniques, Rikido's sugar-enhanced strength paired with Mashirao's martial arts, creating flurry attacks that overwhelmed targets through sheer coordinated speed. Jiro and Shoji had improved their search and reconnaissance skills…and the list continued as everyone stepped out onto the field. Teamwork, decisiveness. From speed, power, and everything in between, Sakura could see that they had all been working to bridge the gaps.
Izuku, Katsuki, and Shoto were the next to come to the stage, their expressions solid instead of eager alone. When it was their turn, the whole class became ghostly silent. What did the number one hero have to teach these three? The three who were already setting a stage for their own form of heroism.
The robots approached rapidly, and the boys entered faster. How far had they come after chasing after Endevor? Well, they showed them. Katsuki had learned to push his limits and go beyond his typical expertise, even against the dead cold, by using compressed shots. While Shoto had become better at controlling his flames to increase his speed. They both tore through their robot opponents like shredded paper.
Endeavor had been thorough. More control, more power, more strategic application
And Izuku-he had gotten a better hold of Black Whip, using the dark ropes with more ease, he wrapped the robots up together into a ball, and used his strength to break them all on one shot.
Sakura stood beside Toshinori, watching the three boys demolish everything in their way.
"You seem almost sorrowful, All Might," Sakura teased gently, noticing the expression on his face as he watched Izuku.
He was surprised to find she was now standing beside him. Despite losing his powers, Toshinori still had the skills of a hero and the cautionary senses that came with it. "Haruno. I suppose I am. Everyone's come a long way."
"They still need their teachers." Sakura reminded him. "So don't walk away from the ring just because you've decided to step outside of it."
"Haruno…"
"Because there will always be someone stronger."
Then it was her turn to take the stage. Sakura stepped up, surrounded by robots coming at her from all sides. Charging closer, but even as they neared enough for her to feel the vibrations on the ground, she didn't move. Eyes narrowed in curiosity, instead of worry.
Then she blurred. Like a shadow caught in the corner of your eye. It was only for an instant. But the robots that closed in, circled close enough to reach out and touch her with their metallic arms, all came to a halt. Sakura walked out of their ring.
Her classmates watched, confused.
"Hey, Sakura, what about the robo-"
BOOM
In tandem, the metallic beasts exploded, going up in smoke and flames that made for some drama in the background.
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Winter would soon be shifting away, the snow had been clearing, but no one complained. With their whole break being taken by the work studies, the hero course students didn't get a moment's rest, unlike the other students at UA. But they were just as lively, having learned more skills and climbing the ladder towards heroism. In celebration of everyone being back together, they decided to have a hotpot party that night.
However, Sakura, Izuku, and Katsuki were coming in late to that party. Well, for the preparations anyway.
It was already dark out when they were coming back from the teacher's lounge, where they had another meeting with Toshinori, this was in regards to their work studies. He was mostly praising their obvious improvement in such a short span of time. He received a layout of what Katsuki and Izuku were doing with Endeavor. He had taken the time to learn about them, their strengths as well as weaknesses, and gave clear instructions on how they were expected to improve.
At Endeavor, there was no excuse for failing, not when someone else's life was on the line. They had to spend most of their time chasing after him during patrols, which he always took them on.
Now, walking back to the dorms in the dark winter evening, Izuku was still holding that notebook, but this one wasn't his usual hero analysis journal. This was something Toshinori had given him.
His own analysis on the quirks that would likely be appearing for Izuku now that he'd unlocked the true power of One For All.
The next quirk he should have expected was Toshinori's master's ability: Float. Unfortunately, there were no real records of a few of the first users. Mostly because they hadn't stood out too much. When All For One had been more active, more present in the world rather than operating from the shadows, he'd had a habit of crushing anyone who stood in his way. And he'd been constantly hunting after the people with One For All.
Standing out in those days would've put a target on their backs. Now, according to Toshinori, Izuku needed to cultivate this power. That was to be his goal in response to finally putting things to rest.
Because the League of Villains was still out there somewhere. And even though All For One was locked away in Tartarus, he still had influence over the underworld.
"Do you want to try and unlock it with me?" Sakura asked. "I can probably help you open the gates to your other powers."
Izuku shook his head. "I don't think we should try to pry open those gates just yet. Black Whip nearly destroyed me when it emerged too early. Float might be safer, but..." He trailed off, staring at the notebook. "I want to be ready first."
"What's wrong, you chicken?" Katsuki asked. When he'd heard that Izuku's next quirk was going to let him fly, he'd immediately argued that he could already do that with his one quirk alone. That had, de facto, put him ahead in his mind.
Sakura just shook her head and reminded them both, "You still have a long way to go before you even catch up to me."
Katsuki clicked his tongue, making the tsk sound. He would've fought and argued strongly in the past, but his ego wouldn't allow him to falter.
Sakura wasn't naive to the pressure this put on Izuku, as someone who had to be a hero; she found it rather distasteful. How his desperation drove him into the deepest part of the hero world when he had barely dipped his feet into it. He was expected to carry the same torch that All Might once held, and become the new Symbol of Peace, so that the rest of the world's heroes could stay at the shallow end.
"I'll learn fast and catch up right away!" He told her.
"Don't get cocky," Katsuki slanted his head towards Sakura and smirked, "Ha, you can't fly though."
She cheekily smiled, "Maybe."
"What does that mean?" She just raised her chin, folding her hands behind her back, and started skipping towards the dorms. With Katsuki and Izuku calling out behind her.
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Izuku, Sakura and Katsuki moved around the kitchen area with everyone setting up for the hot-pot-party. They weren't even out of their school uniforms yet. While Sakura and Izuku were doing little things as far as making the hotpot went, since neither were that familiar with cooking, Katsuki was taking a very active role, starting with cutting the chives and shoving Shoto out of that area because of the horrific sight he came to on that kitchen counter with the chives looking like a kiddies craft project.
Sakura couldn't help chuckling when she saw Katsuki put on an apron and start raging around the kitchen, and yet he moved like a master chef along with Rikido, who was basically the designated chef and pastry master. Whenever they made dinner, he was always the de facto go-to for advice on the simplest tasks of seasoning to the best way to cook the meat without losing flavor and drying it out. Although Katsuki showed to have a bit of knowledge in that area as well. Even though he argued that any moron would know how to cook, the truth was that there were only a handful of competent cooks in their class. Amongst them were Rikido, Katsuki, and Tsuyu, who took on a lot of domestic responsibilities with their siblings due to their parents' jobs. But she never complained about it.
"Hey!" Katsuki called to Sakura, "Don't just stand there, get moving, or you're not eating jack shit tonight!"
Sakura was already helping, but she didn't argue. She went to the kitchen counter, and Katsuki told her to grind up some spices and such, but Sakura pulled her face.
"I don't like spicy foods."
"Ha? Are you kidding me? What kind of taste buds do you have? Are you allergic to flavor?"
"I just don't like it."
"We're making some mild pots too," Rikido assured her.
But Katsuki wasn't having it.
"You're eating from my pot, just you watch I'll show you what real spice is!"
Eijiro butted in, "I wanna try Bakugou's hot pot too!"
"You're on spikey head."
Sakura sighed, "You'd make a great house husband if you could be quiet."
"What was that five-head?!"
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Everyone had taken the chairs and furniture and made a big circle for the whole class to fit in, with the hot pots dead in the center of the table where they could all dish out and enjoy. Not only were they able to have the best meal for winter days, but also the best company. They talked about how in three months' time, they would be second years, if they could make it through finals while dealing with work studies.
Katsuki was forcing the food down Sakura's gullet while they talked about their experience with the work studies. But Sakura had also become a part of that topic, in how their improvement was still far from her arm's reach.
"It seems like every time we take a step forward, you've already taken ten more."
The gloves were pointed at Sakura as Toru spoke.
Sakura looked at her bowl for a moment. Unlike the rest, this week hadn't done much of anything to garner change for her. She had been training herself for a while now, trying to grasp this new power of hers. She didn't like the feeling of the chakra and the way it held onto her, but she was gaining control. She couldn't risk it if the biju had taught her anything. But she wouldn't say any of that to anyone. Despite sitting in the same circle as everyone around her, Sakura had to remember that there was a line between them, thicker than they realized. And she couldn't allow them to cross it.
After all this time, Sakura knew that everyone from her class wanted not only to be heroes, but to encompass their identity completely as being purely good. Even if they behaved a little mischievously, frivolously, or lecherously (Minoru), they all had strong hearts. She had no doubt about that.
This is where Sakura knew a distinct difference held.
They wanted to be heroes in and out of uniform, and their perception that had shaped the image of heroism was someone like All Might. Who was selfless, and serving, and wanted nothing more than to take on the tasks without burdening anyone else.
Shinobi would learn that loyalty and obedience were key factors in achieving their titles, in their doctrine, and emotions were not. While to heroes life had meaning, ninja were not supposed to be attached.
Heroes use their powers to suppress evil and prevent harm.
Shinobi had no right to decide what that was. They simply stood where they were meant to be, where they were placed, and were told to accept or defect.
"You've all improved as well," Sakura told them.
Katsuki butted in, "What kind of crappy excuse is that? If you can't keep up them drop dead but don't go making excuses not to move."
Sakura looked at Katsuki, surprised that he had something like that to say, he noticed her staring and yelled: "WHAT?"
She patted his head, "Good job. Looks like you're maturing."
He smacked her hand away and started blowing up.
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-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113)
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