Staying in the dorms made it easier for Izuku to get to school on time. Before, he'd often miss the bus and walk into class just as Aizawa-sensei's glare burned through him.
He hated Aizawa's punishments. Shaking off the memory, Izuku focused on his notes while his classmates filled the room with chatter, trying to mask the gloom that hung over them all. They smiled and laughed, but he knew they felt the same unease he did.
A lot had changed since Bakugo's kidnapping and the All For One attack. Witnessing All Might's battle against his nemesis was the most harrowing experience of Izuku's life. He couldn't fathom how All Might had fought such a monster and still managed to smile. It made Izuku admire him even more, though it also reminded him how far he still had to go.
All Might's retirement weighed heavy on him. The knowledge that he couldn't change what happened gnawed at his insides.
It wasn't just him either. Bakugo carried the same burden, which he'd made crystal clear during their fight at Ground Beta. Despite how painful that battle had been, Izuku was glad it happened. Since then, Bakugo had calmed down—still aggressive, but less so than before.
A shadow fell over his notes, snapping him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Ochaco smiling softly at him.
"Hey," she said, her tone warm, already guessing what her curly-haired friend was brooding over. "It's fine. You did your best."
Izuku sighed, offering her a faint smile in return. "I know, but I'm not worried," he lied.
"You should know by now that lying to me is just pointless." Ochaco shook her head, her tone teasing but firm. "It's literally written all over your face."
Izuku let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. "I'm just happy Kacchan and I aren't on suspension anymore." He tried to steer the conversation to lighter waters.
"Aizawa-sensei was ruthle—wait." Izuku sat up suddenly, glancing at his watch. It was already 8:15, and their homeroom teacher wasn't here? His brow furrowed in concern. "Did something happen?"
Ochaco tilted her head. "What's wrong?" she asked, curious about his sudden change in demeanor.
"AIZAWA-SENSEI WILL BE RUNNING LATE! IN THE MEANTIME, CATCH UP WITH YOUR ESSAYS!" Tenya's booming voice erupted from the back of the classroom, accompanied by his signature robotic arm gestures.
The outburst sent Izuku, Ochaco, and half the class nearly jumping out of their seats.
"So noisy," Tokoyami muttered flatly, bitterness seeping into his tone.
"Hey, damn four-eyes, shut the hell up!" Bakugo barked, glaring at the class rep as the room descended into noise.
Students argued, debated their teacher's absence, and teased each other until the classroom door slid open. Aizawa walked in, his ever-present deadpan expression intact, with Principal Nezu and two unfamiliar boys trailing behind him.
Naruto surveyed the rowdy students with amused eyes. This takes me way back…
Aizawa's eye twitched. He had been standing there for a while, yet none of them had noticed. With a deep sigh, he activated his quirk.
"OI!" His voice cut through the chaos, stern and laced with a quiet fury. His hair floated upward, his crimson eyes glowing with authority.
The class froze mid-motion, their heads turning toward him like rusted gears creaking into place.
Naruto smirked at the sight, amused by how the students cowered under the teacher's glare.
Aizawa's piercing gaze reminded Naruto of Captain Yamato's infamous scary stare. The students, now thoroughly unnerved, hesitantly shuffled back to their seats.
Once everyone settled down, Aizawa deactivated his quirk with an exasperated sigh. "Good grief. Stop making me use my quirk or I'll expel you all."
"YES, AIZAWA-SENSEI!" the class chorused, visibly rattled.
"Now, now, Aizawa-Sensei," Nezu interjected as he climbed onto the teacher's desk with ease, offering the stern teacher a knowing look. "Let them blow off a little steam. They've been through a lot lately."
Izuku, quietly observing from his seat, noticed for the first time the two unfamiliar faces wearing the UA uniform. They stood tall, seemingly a couple of years older than his classmates. His curiosity piqued.
Are they the reason Aizawa-Sensei was late?
His gaze lingered on the blonde for a moment too long, and when their eyes met, he quickly looked away, flustered.
"Anyway," Nezu began, turning his attention back to the class, "we don't want to waste any more of your time. Let's get right to it."
He gestured toward the two young men standing beside him. "Class 1-A, meet your new classmates. They'll be joining you starting today."
Bakugo scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Well, that explains the two new empty seats," he said smugly, glancing at the unused desks in the back.
Tenya shot his arm into the air with his usual fervor. "Sir! If I may—how is it that these new students are joining us now? Shouldn't they have participated in the entrance exam like the rest of us?"
Nezu turned to Tenya with a calm, collected smile. "Ah, excellent question, Iida. Let me explain…"
"Lida-kun…" Izuku whispered, embarrassed by Tenya's bluntness but secretly agreeing with him. The rest of the class seemed to feel the same. They exchanged uncertain glances, clearly questioning the fairness of these new students joining without the entrance exam. Tenya had merely voiced what they all were thinking.
Naruto and Sasuke's faces hardened momentarily at the question, but softened soon after. They could sense the class's unease and understood the sentiment, though neither seemed particularly fazed by it.
FLASHBACK
Naruto had not expected them to bow. He panicked, waving his arms wildly. "H-Hey, what's this about?! Stop that!"
"We really need your help. Please," Toshinori begged, his voice weak after reverting from his hero form. His sincerity was palpable.
Naruto, flustered, blushed deeply. "Raise your heads, geez! Don't do that."
When everyone stood upright again, he sighed and glanced toward Sasuke. As always, his friend appeared deep in thought.
Naruto waited patiently, knowing Sasuke's decision would come after careful deliberation.
"We'll help," Sasuke said looking as stoic as ever.
Gasps of relief filled the room.
"Thank you," Toshinori said, bowing deeply.
Aizawa, however, gave Sasuke a skeptical look. Despite having only known him for five hours, the dry-eyed man could already read Sasuke's tendencies. He hadn't expected him to agree to something so quickly.
Sasuke shrugged, noticing the scrutiny. "It's not like I have much of a choice. The fight Naruto and I had earlier dulled my Rinnegan temporarily. I'm nit going to be able to use my teleportation technique for a long while."
He glanced at Naruto and added dryly, "And even if I could, he'd just nag me into agreeing anyway. He's already decided to help."
Naruto grinned sheepishly. Sasuke wasn't wrong.
FLASHBACK END
"They didn't take the entrance exam," Nezu confirmed cheerfully, addressing the tension in the room. "And if I'm to be very frank with you, they don't need to."
The class erupted into murmurs as their unease and curiosity grew.
"Hey, how come they don't need to take the exam?" Bakugo asked, his sharp gaze cutting toward the newcomers. "The hell makes them so special?"
"Did you watch the news yesterday?" Aizawa countered, his tone calm but laced with authority.
"Yeah! It was about some monster that nearly destroyed the city and took out most of the pros. And there was this cool guy who stopped it—" Denki began, his usual careless chatter cutting off abruptly as he pieced things together. His eyes darted toward Naruto and Sasuke. "Wait… are they…?"
Tsuyu tilted her head thoughtfully. "Didn't they have something to do with that?"
The classroom murmured uneasily, a mix of suspicion and curiosity spreading like wildfire.
Aizawa folded his arms, observing them silently. "It's as you suspect." His words hung heavily in the air. "Naruto and Sasuke were directly involved."
Naruto stepped forward, his expression tense and remorseful. His gaze swept across the class, then he bowed deeply, his voice steady but laced with genuine remorse. "I want to apologize to all of you. What happened yesterday… I lost control of my powers. It's not something I take lightly, and I know that I hurt a lot of people. I'm here now to make amends. I'll do everything I can to gain your trust and acceptance."
The classroom fell silent. His sincerity caught them off guard, and for a moment, no one knew what to say. Slowly, guilt began to creep into their expressions—most had assumed the worst about him without knowing the full story.
Aizawa and Nezu exchanged a quiet nod of approval. Nezu stepped forward, his small frame commanding attention. "Naruto has already started to make amends. With his abilities, he was able to heal the injured heroes back to their original state."
Gasps echoed throughout the room, their unease replaced by wonder.
"He healed them?" Mina whispered, her pink eyes wide.
"That's amazing…" Jiro murmured.
Naruto raised his head, the solemnity in his eyes softening as a small grin appeared on his face. "By the way, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! It's going to be a pleasure working with you all, y'know" He added a thumbs-up for good measure.
A ripple of admiration swept through the class, especially among the girls.
He's so cute!
His smile is so bright…
Wait, are those whiskers? They're adorable!
Naruto turned to Sasuke, gesturing for him to speak. "C'mon, Sasuke, introduce yourself!"
Sasuke lifted his head, his expression unreadable as he regarded the class with a cool detachment. "Uchiha Sasuke."
Though brief, his introduction left an air of mystery that only seemed to deepen the class's curiosity.
As the class murmured following Sasuke's terse introduction, he glanced to the side briefly, almost as if avoiding their stares. In that fleeting moment, Izuku, Bakugo, and Todoroki caught sight of the eye hidden behind his side bangs.
What the heck was that? Bakugo's thoughts raced as he narrowed his eyes, his focus locked on the duo. Izuku and Todoroki exchanged silent glances, both equally puzzled but too hesitant to voice their thoughts.
Naruto and Sasuke, unfazed by the growing curiosity, walked to their assigned seats under the scrutinizing gazes of the class. Once they were seated, Principal Nezu excused himself with his characteristic cheer.
Aizawa remained at the front, his usually tired expression curling into a rare but ominous smile. From behind his desk, he pulled out a bundle of UA sportswear, tossing them to the new arrivals.
"Now… why don't we try this again?"
Naruto and Sasuke caught the clothes effortlessly but frowned in unison.
This guy...
Their thoughts mirrored each other's annoyance, a shared understanding of the ordeal ahead as the rest of Class 1-A braced themselves for what Aizawa had planned.