And so, Naruto, Sasuke, and Mikan finally entered the gym. The gym was decorated for a typical entrance ceremony. A nice carpet was laid out, chairs had been put up, and banners were raised. All had Hope's Peak Academy insignia on them. There were other teens waiting inside already. There were fourteen in total, seven guys and seven girls. They were a pretty even class then, since Naruto, Sasuke, and Mikan made a total of seventeen students.
The other students turned to them when they entered, and the girls' eyes widened as they saw Sasuke. While some of them only looked at him with curiosity and neutral expressions, the boys looked at him with curiosity as well, while one of the boys only felt jealous of him. The others were either intrigued.
Sasuke could feel the students' eyes on him and was not pleased about this. He started to feel uncomfortable, especially toward the girls who were staring at him.
Naruto, on the other hand, felt a little awkward. He didn't expect a sudden reaction out of them. He knows that some of them are looking at Sasuke, but he couldn't help but be overwhelmed as well. He feels bad towards Sasuke because he can tell that he doesn't like this type of attention.
Mikan was starting to panic about their sudden reactions. She didn't know if they were looking at her or not. But she was also feeling overwhelmed as well. She tried to calm herself down, not to freak out.
"Oh my, what a cutie..." A beautiful pale blonde commented in a low voice. She is a tall, young woman with long blonde hair, pale skin, and green eyes. She wears a green and white dress with a large red ribbon with a blue and silver jewel on the chest and a dark green, almost black, ribbon with diamonds in her hair. She also wears a bracelet on her left wrist, black and grey thigh-high socks, and red cap toe Mary Jane shoes. Her blue eyes were dancing with elation as she watched Sasuke, and she couldn't help but giggle. She also noticed Naruto and Mikan beside Sasuke. But unlike Sasuke, her reaction to Naruto and Mikan was only neutral.
"What, no way... Did Miss Sonia just say that guy was a cutie..." It was another guy, and his hair is dyed hot pink and is somewhat badly layered with a tiny braid on the right side. However, he covers said bad layering up with a grey beanie with a white strip on the bottom left of it. In addition to his punk rock appearance, he has thin eyes with hot pink prescription colour contacts on them at all times. Above his eyes, his thin, pronounced eyebrows nearly touch his hairline.
His teeth are quite sharp, giving him an intimidating grin. He also has earrings, the right one having a plus sign as it is a screw with the plus head and the left one having a minus sign as it is also a screw but with the minus head. His teeth were pretty sharp, too. He wears a yellow-green jumpsuit with a dark brown streak on the sides, reaching his ankles. He wears bright yellow sneakers as well with white laces. He frowned, looking at Sasuke. "Lucky bastard..." He mumbled to himself, feeling jealous of Sasuke.
Another girl, this one with long multi-coloured hair, beamed brightly. "Oh my-~," she said, in a singing tone. "He looks like an emo boy with a pretty face!" She thought. She is a short-to-average girl with fair skin. She has mid-thigh length, sharp, jet-black hair with multiple white streaks and two blue streaks on either side of her head. Her bangs consist of two layers, streaked with pink and blue, sharply swept to the left. Part of her hair is twisted into oni-style horns. Her eyebrows are pink, suggesting she tinted her eyebrows to match with the pink streaks in her hair, and so are her eyes. Then she glanced at Naruto and Mikan beside Sasuke. But unlike Sasuke, her reaction to Mikan was neutral. "Oh, his blonde friend has a friendly face than him." She said, looking at Naruto.
She wears clothing that is very unlike what one would think a Light Music Club member would wear, bearing resemblance to a punk-rock style. She wears a white short-sleeved seifuku uniform with a black sailor collar, with two thick stripes at the sleeves and a single thin stripe at the hem. She wears a black pleated skirt with a pink ascot tied at her neck. Her legwear consists of ripped thigh-high socks, her right sock being pink and the left being blue, with flat white sneakers that have blue laces on the right and pink laces on the left Her nails are painted black.
"Oh my god, what a handsome fella. I didn't expect to meet a good-looking guy like him to be one of our classmates." A short, round boy commented with a perverted smirk. He was dressed in a typical chef's outfit, giving the impression that he was a chef as well. He also noticed Naruto and Mikan. "Oh, what's this? Another blonde hair dude..." he thought about Naruto. "Well, it seemed the three of them must be friends. And what do we have here, a beautiful lady." He said, looking at Mikan pervertedly.
"W-What is this!?" A girl with dark red hair exclaimed. She had light freckles across her cheeks and olive green eyes. She was holding a camera. She was dressed in some kind of pale green uniform, probably from her old school. She wasn't a fan of boys so much, but she couldn't deny that Sasuke was a handsome guy. She decided to take a picture of him, just in case. She also noticed Naruto and Mikan beside Sasuke. But unlike Sasuke, her reaction to Naruto and Mikan was only neutral. She only decided to take a picture of Mikan and Naruto.
"Oh, I guess someone managed to get everyone's attention, huh..." A guy dressed in casual clothes thought. He was tall and rather skinny. He had light grey-green eyes and sickly pale skin. His hair was shoulder-length and naturally wavy of an unnaturally pale off-white colour. It gave him a rather ghostly appearance. He also glanced at Naruto and Mikan, he wonders maybe the three of them knew each other.
"This person... I can sense a dark power emanating from him..." One of the boys thought. He was dressed in a dark school uniform, which was heavily accessorized. His entire left arm was covered in bandages, his right eye was red, and he had a scar running down his left eye. A long purple scarf was around his neck, which covered the lower part of his face. He had dark hair with pale grey streaks through it and a poof of hair that stuck up and was curly. He also glanced at Naruto and Mikan, he wonders maybe the three of them knew each other's. He also glanced at Naruto and Mikan. Unlike Sasuke, he can sense something positive aura coming from Naruto.
"Wow, these guys look really strong. I wonder how strong he is..." She thought excitedly. "I can't wait to fight one of them..." One of the girls thought to herself. A very well-endowed girl at that. She had a very athletic and curvaceous body. She had tan skin, dark grey eyes, and very unkempt chestnut hair. She wore a short-sleeved white shirt with the top few buttons undone, exposing a large amount of cleavage. She also had on a red miniskirt and cream-colored loafers. She also noticed Naruto and Mikan beside Sasuke. But unlike Sasuke, his reactions to Naruto were also the same thing, as she can also sense that Naruto is also strong. She only ignored Mikan, as she was not really strong to her eyes.
A kiddish blonde girl with twin tails who wore a traditional Japanese outfit didn't say anything. She only looked at Sasuke with a surprise and intrigued expression on her face. She wore an orange furisode kimono with a floral print pattern that consists of white and yellow blossoms, and a yellow-green obi sash printed with tiny, darker yellow-green cat head silhouettes tied around her waist and secured with a bow at the back. Her footwear consists of zori with orange straps. She hates to admit it, but Sasuke was the only good-looking guy in this ceremony program. She ignored both Naruto and Mikan.
A tall, young woman with fair skin and a cool demeanour. She has long silver hair tied up into two braids on each side of her head, secured by white ribbons at the bases and dark red hair ties at the ends. She has side-swept bangs with two shoulder-length locks of hair that curl outwards, left down to frame her face. Her eyes are vivid red, and she wears thin-framed rectangular glasses. She wears a long-sleeved, turquoise-black seifuku uniform with a dark, gray-teal sailor collar and sleeve cuffs, each striped with two thin white lines at the edges, a red ascot tied at her neck. A red strip of cloth is wrapped around her left upper arm. Below this, she wears a somewhat paler turquoise pleated skirt, striped with an even paler line at the hem. Her legwear consists of turquoise-black tights and cream-colored loafers.
She only looked at the three with a stoic expression, unimpressed as she looked at Naruto, Sasuke, and Mikan. She then noticed Sasuke carrying a chokutō sword in his back. She thought he might also be a sword man like her as well. This also intrigued her to find a fellow sword man.
A short guy that wears a dark suit. He wears a two-piece suit consisting of a dark pinstripe jacket and pants over a white dress shirt. His tie is brown-black with an animal skull emblem on it, and he wears black dress shoes with a platform heel. On his left lapel is a pin that is in the shape of the emblem of the Kuzuryu family, and he wears two silver rings on his right hand. He later wears a black eyepatch with a white, round dragon pattern. He only raised an eyebrow as he looked at the three of them. For his perspective, he can tell that Sasuke is a serious and stoic guy. While Naruto is an energetic person, and Mikan is a shy one.
A very masculine guy only looked to the three of them with raised eyebrows. He is a very tall, muscular man with black hair and brown eyes. He wears a white tank top under a black gakuran, as well as blue tracksuit pants, with the jacket wide open. He has chains around his neck with a whistle hanging in the middle part and emits a blue electric aura from his eyes. He has two scars running from the top of both his eyes downwards in their own directions. He also has a towel tucked into the back of his pants. He also glanced at the three of them, but he is more interested in Sasuke and Naruto, as he could sense some strong aura coming from them.
"So this must be the Ultimate Students that Jin and Tengan spoke of..." Sasuke thought to himself, looking at the students one by one.
Naruto leaned closely to Sasuke and whispered into his ears. "So these guys are the so-called Ultimate Students, huh…..."
"Yes, I can see that..." Sasuke said also in a whisper. His serious expression didn't disappear.
"T-There are so many new people here," Mikan thought to herself, twiddling with her fingers, feeling nervous again.
They were some of the country's best, brought here together in order to polish their talents further. It was hard to imagine what kind of people they were. Then again, he and Naruto were now considered an Ultimate. And so was Mikan now that he thought about it. And she didn't seem bad at all.
"Hey you, the guy with a pretty face..." The athletic girl shouted, pointing at Sasuke. "You're strong, I want to fight you..." She said, eager to fight Sasuke. To find out how strong he is.
Naruto, on the other hand, was shocked and surprised at her attempt. She didn't know that she would declare a challenge to him. Sasuke could easily one-shot her. "Is she insane? Why the hell did she decide to challenge Sasuke of all people..." He thought to the girl, as if she was insane.
"And you, blonde boy, your next, when I'm done with him..." The athletic girl shouted, pointing at Naruto.
Everyone was also surprised at the woman for already starting to fight someone, especially the new student. "What, me, what the fuck did I do..." Naruto thought, surprised.
Sasuke turned his attention to the woman who was challenging him in a fight. His expression unchanged, a look of unfazed and unbothered. He didn't respond to the athletic girl's challenge, but Sasuke did raise an eyebrow. He didn't need to say anything. His presence alone seemed to radiate a quiet power that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
"C-calm down, miss, I don't think this is a good idea." He has short, light brown hair and hazel eyes. A guy that wears a black suit with a green tie said nervously.
"Yeah, what's the point?" A girl with dark red hair said. She carried a camera. "Is she trying to prove something?" She thought to herself.
"She's just trying to get a rise out of him," said the pale blonde girl who had called Sasuke a "cutie" earlier. "She doesn't know how to act when she's around someone as handsome as him."
The athletic girl snorted. "Handsome?" she scoffed. "This guy is just... Weird. But I want to know what kind of weird. I want to see what he's got." The athletic girl said, looking at Sasuke.
Sasuke, meanwhile, was still silent, but his gaze was sharp and focused on the athletic girl. He was analyzing her, gauging her strength and intent. He could sense a raw, unrefined power in her, a kind of primal energy that was unleashed without much control. This wasn't the kind of power he was used to. Not like he was concerned about it; he could easily defeat her with no effort.
"So, you're not going to say anything?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of impatience. "Aren't you gonna fight me?"
Sasuke finally spoke, his voice a low rumble that seemed to emanate from deep within his chest. "I beg your pardon," he said, his expression unchanged.
The athletic girl scowled. "Don't beg your pardon, me?" She said, annoyed. "I know you heard what I said?"
Sasuke didn't respond. He only remained silent, only looking at her, analyzing. He didn't know if she was bluffing or not, but this didn't mean he wouldn't fight back if threatened.
Sasuke's silence was a language all its own. The athletic girl wasn't intimidated. She shifted her weight, ready to spring forward. Naruto, however, was starting to panic. He was sure Sasuke would really want to fight her. But he didn't want to see this naive girl get hurt.
"Hold on!" Naruto shouted, stepping in front of the athletic girl and Sasuke. "This isn't a good idea, you guys!" He said, trying to stop the two of them before everyone got hurt.
The athletic girl scoffed. "Why are you standing in my way, punk? Move out of the way!" She said angrily at Naruto.
Sasuke, however, didn't seem bothered by the back-and-forth between Naruto and the athletic girl. He maintained his stoic composure, his eye flickering occasionally, as if he was carefully calculating his options.
Mikan, however, was terrified. She couldn't understand why everyone was suddenly acting so aggressively. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her and clutched at her chest, her fingers digging into her soft, pale skin. She didn't want the athletic girl and Sasuke to get hurt so badly.
The other students, however, were captivated by the sudden tension. A hush fell over the room as they watched the three of them, their eyes wide with anticipation.
"What? Is she serious? Is she really wanting to fight the new guy?" A guy with hot pink hair, probably dyed, spoke, being a bit scared.
"Yeah, it looks like that…" A short guy that wears a dark suit spoke in annoyance. "You know what, fuck this. Let them fight each other…" The short guy, with a suit spoke.
"Are you crazy? How can you say something like that?" The girl with dark red hair spoke to him.
"And what? Are you going to be a hero and stop these two idiots from fighting each other, like that stupid blonde-haired boy over there?" The short guy said, pointing at Naruto.
Naruto turned his head and spoke. "Hey, I'm not stupid..." Naruto said in an angry expression, looking at the short guy.
"Hmph... Whatever..." The short guy with a suit said to Naruto while folding his arms.
The athletic girl dashed at Sasuke with such speed, raising her right fist to attack Sasuke. But Sasuke's expression didn't change. But he was in a defensive stance. "Hhhaaa.... Take this..." The athletic girl shouted as she dashed at an inhuman speed towards Sasuke.
Then the athletic girl finally reached Sasuke, as she threw her right punch, straight into Sasuke's face. But Sasuke just turned his head to the left, dodging the punch with no effort. The athletic girl sees this as she throws another right kick. But again, Sasuke just dodged, avoiding the attack. As she failed to hit Sasuke, the athletic girl then unleashed a fury of punches and kicks at him. But Sasuke just dodges all of her attacks, not even bothering to block or use his hands. He arms were only in his pocket, his expression serious and calm.
"She is very slow, I can see her movement moving in slow motion..." Sasuke thought as he dodged all of the athletic girl's attacks with no effort, his expression unchanged.
The guy dressed in casual clothes didn't seem fazed at all. "Oh, I guess Owari-san is as hot-blooded as I heard…." He thought chuckling.
'What the heck…?' Naruto thought, he had no better reaction than that, blinking as the athletic girl suddenly began to unleash a fury of attacks against Sasuke, but Sasuke were just dodging them all of her attacks with no effort. Chairs were sent flying off, and some of the floor began to tear apart. He watched both Sasuke and that athletic girl fighting together, he can see Sasuke was on the defensive side. All just Sasuke did was dodging her attacks with not even caring. He only hopes that Sasuke will not take this fight seriously and just hold back.
"I-Is this the famed 'Japanese Lunchtime Rush'!?" A beautiful pale blonde shouted in excitement. Her blue eyes were dancing with elation as she watched her two classmates fight with one another.
"U-Um…...Miss Sonia, it isn't lunchtime yet," one of the other students informed her, pointing to the obvious. It was another guy, and he had hot pink hair, probably dyed.
A casually dressed man spoke. "How interesting," he chuckled, "they seem to be having fun."
A dark-haired girl sighed. "I don't think that's what they meant by 'having fun'," she said.
A girl with long, multicolored hair beamed. "Oh la-la! They're really going at it! Someone's going to get hurt!" She didn't seem worried. What a strange girl.
Mikan panicked as the athletic girl attacked Sasuke. She didn't know whether to intervene. Although she'd only known Naruto and Sasuke for a few minutes, she didn't want Sasuke to get hurt, and she didn't want the girls to get hurt either.
A short, round boy in a chef's outfit laughed. "Passion's definitely running high," he commented. "I hope pretty boy doesn't get hit; I hate to see that handsome face bruised," he added, laughing again.
The athletic girl pressed her attack, her punches and kicks growing faster, but Sasuke effortlessly dodged each one. She grew frustrated, her face flushed with exertion and anger.
"What the hell?! Why can't I hit him? How is he so fast?!" she thought, frustrated by Sasuke's effortless dodging. Sasuke remained calm and collected, regarding her with a dispassionate gaze.
Naruto watched with growing concern. Sasuke was clearly holding back, but the athletic girl was determined to prove herself. "Man, this is going to end badly," he thought.
The muscular man from earlier watched the fight with interest. He looked at the athletic girl with a dispassionate gaze. "She's a powerful fighter," he said steadily, "but she lacks control. Her attacks are wild, unpredictable, and chaotic. She needs to focus, refine her technique, and control her strength." A blue electric aura emanated from his eyes.
All the students heard the muscular man's words and glanced at him, particularly Naruto and Mikan.
Naruto looked at the muscular man. "Seriously, this guy could give the Raikage a run for his money," he thought, chuckling silently. He was very tall.
The girl with long silver hair, tied in two braids, had been watching Sasuke and the athletic girl. "The dark-haired guy is just toying with her," she observed. "He's not even trying."
Naruto looked at the long-haired girl. She was quiet and cool, reminding him of Neji and Sasuke. He hoped she wasn't stuck-up like they sometimes were. He noticed a sword on her back, thinking she might be a swordsman like Sasuke.
Mikan trembled. "Oh no… This is bad. What if they get hurt? I have to help them!" she thought.
Frustrated and flustered, the athletic girl stopped her attack, panting heavily. She couldn't believe she hadn't landed a single hit on Sasuke.
"Give up," Sasuke said, effortlessly dodging her attacks. "You're fighting a losing battle."
"Tch… Shut up," the athletic girl scowled, panting. "I will hit you! Mark my words!" She was exhausted but determined.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. Her movements weren't fast enough to escape his notice, but the power behind her attacks, while impressive, lacked control. "Well, this is certainly something…" he thought.
"That's enough!" Koichi Kizakura's voice boomed from the speakers. "You're here to enroll in Hope's Peak, not kill each other!" His expression was annoyed.
The students stopped, the athletic girl especially. Naruto and Sasuke recognized the voice. Naruto couldn't recall Koichi's name, while Sasuke could.
"Wait, I know that voice—Sasuke and I met him in the office yesterday," Naruto thought. "What's his name again?" Sasuke listened impassively.
"Now, prepare to introduce yourselves on stage," Koichi announced. "Add details if you wish. I'll give you thirty minutes. And one more thing: any more fighting, and you're expelled." The students were shocked. "Are you kidding me?" the pink-haired boy thought.
The athletic girl scowled. "Fine," she said, annoyed. "I'm not done with you yet, pretty boy. I will hit you," she added, pointing at Sasuke.
Some girls giggled at her words. Sasuke remained unimpressed. The athletic girl turned and walked away, and the other students went about their business.
Naruto and Mikan approached Sasuke. "Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto asked. Sasuke turned, his expression unchanged. "Yeah, I'm okay."
After Koichi addressed the students, the rest of them decided to mind their own business. Sasuke and Naruto looked around, lost in their own thoughts. Naruto knew he was already messing things up. This wasn't how things were supposed to go; he wasn't supposed to be friendly with these people. But his usual carefree personality won out, making him enjoy bonding with new people. Sasuke, on the other hand, wouldn't bother making friends with them, due to his introverted nature and seeing no point in doing so.
"That's a rather optimistic thing to say," a voice said as someone approached them. "But then again, that's the attitude I'd expect from an Ultimate."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Mikan turned to see a guy walking toward them. He was dressed casually, like Naruto and Sasuke. Tall and thin, he had light grey-green eyes and sickly pale skin. His shoulder-length, naturally wavy hair was an unnaturally pale off-white, giving him a ghostly appearance, Naruto thought.
The new guy crossed his arms. "Well, among you, I guess that'd be true. But I don't think that comment would apply to me."
Naruto tilted his head. "Who the fuck is this guy?" he thought, looking at the man's strange clothes. Sasuke frowned, silently studying the man's appearance. Mikan felt nervous. Sasuke, still frowning, asked coldly, "Who the hell are you...?"
The guy smirked and spoke calmly, "Oh, I'm just a guy who enrolled here..." he chuckled.
The three reacted differently: Sasuke raised an eyebrow, Naruto was surprised, and Mikan remained nervous. The strangely dressed man sighed, looking disappointed. "I only got in here due to luck. That's rather stupid, wouldn't you agree?"
"L-Luck?" Mikan was confused. "How does that work…...?"
The man chuckled sheepishly. "Haven't you heard? Every year, Hope's Peak Academy holds a lottery for ordinary students. Whoever wins gets to join as the Ultimate Lucky Student. That's basically what I am. Just lucky."
"I-Is that so?" Mikan was surprised but said no more.
Naruto shrugged. It was unusual to consider luck a talent, but oh well. Sasuke didn't respond; he found the talent uninteresting. The school must have its reasons for researching such a skill.
"Oh, but how rude of me." He smiled. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Komaeda Nagito. It's nice to meet you."
"Yeah, same. I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said with a big smile.
"I-I'm Tsumiki Mikan. I-I hope we can get along…..." Mikan said, fidgeting.
Nagito turned to Sasuke. "How about you, what's your name...?" he asked with a warm smile.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow but spoke, "Sasuke Uchiha," his expression serious, arms folded.
Nagito smiled. "Mhmm. I recognize you, Tsumiki-san. You're the Ultimate Nurse, aren't you? Many people were discussing your achievements online. You're rather popular, aren't you?"
"E-Eh?" Mikan was startled. "T-They were? Why?"
Sasuke, still with folded arms, asked, "How the hell did you know about her title...?"
"Everyone is rather popular online, you know," Nagito said, smiling. "Of course, with the exception of me."
"Wait, online...?" Naruto said, confused.
"Yes, online, or the internet... it's a place where you can find many things you want to see, especially information..." Nagito explained to Naruto.
Naruto's eyes widened. "The internet? Is that like… a giant library?" he asked, genuinely curious. Sasuke remained unimpressed, his gaze fixed on Nagito with suspicion. Mikan, still flustered by her online popularity, nodded slowly, processing everything.
Nagito chuckled. "In a way, yes. It's far more than a library, though. It holds all sorts of things: information, entertainment, communication… even some less savory things." He paused, a flicker of darkness crossing his pale features before he resumed his cheerful demeanor.
Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wow, that's amazing…" Nagito chuckled at his response.
"Wait, you don't know about the internet?" Nagito asked, chuckling.
"Ah, well, we don't have any internet in our village…" Naruto said, scratching his head awkwardly.
Sasuke formulated his own theories about Nagito's knowledge. He suspected this "Ultimate Lucky Student" was more than he seemed. He wouldn't let his guard down, even if Nagito posed no immediate threat.
"Hmm. Is that so?" Nagito dropped the matter. "Well, I must admit something. I was able to find information on almost everyone in our class. Except you two, of course. I only saw your names mentioned once or twice, but nothing concrete." He added, "But of course, that's a story for another time."
Sasuke wasn't surprised. He'd read about the internet; it housed vast amounts of information. He'd used it to learn about this world. It was scary, but the internet wouldn't have anything on him and Naruto; they'd only been in this world for less than a month.
"Damn it," Sasuke thought angrily. "If I'd known I could gather information on the Ultimate students, I would have done so before coming here." He folded his arms, his expression serious. "I better learn how to use the internet to my advantage." He regretted not researching the other students online, as Nagito had. There was nothing he could do about it now. "Well, that's good. If everyone knew about me, I wouldn't exactly live up to my title," he thought to himself.
While Mikan freaked out about her popularity, Naruto happily congratulated her. Turning to Mikan excitedly, Naruto said, "Congrats, Mikan! I didn't know you were so awesome, the Ultimate Nurse!" He gave her a thumbs-up, making her blush. Sasuke also smiled warmly at her title, then folded his arms, closing his eyes.
Still, they wondered how someone so skittish could be a nurse. 'Man, Sakura-chan would have a field day with this,' Naruto thought.
Mikan suddenly freaked out about something else. "E-Eh? M-Mikan? M-My first name!?"
Naruto was confused. "Uh, yeah? That is your name, right?"
"A-Ah! I-It's just the first time anyone has called me by my first name before…"
Sasuke calmly asked, "So what do you want us to call you?"
Mikan, fidgeting, said nervously, "J-just call me T-Tsumugi…" Sasuke nodded. Naruto shrugged. "Oh. Okay, if that's what you want."
Sasuke nodded calmly and said, "Very well then…"
Naruto didn't understand the fuss; he called all his friends by their first names, including Sasuke.
Nagito, seeing their interaction, chuckled. "Hahaha. You're a strange one, Uzumaki. Could it be… are you into seducing women?"
Mikan blushed crimson. Sasuke's expression turned serious. Naruto gave Nagito a dull stare. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"Well, it's strange since you're not really that good-looking compared to your friend over here…" Nagito said, looking at Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow.
Naruto was angry that Nagito had insulted his looks. He was good-looking, though not on Sasuke's level, of course. His usually cheerful expression was replaced with simmering anger. He wasn't used to being compared so dismissively, especially based on something as superficial as appearance. He opened his mouth to retort, but Sasuke beat him to it.
Sasuke, ever stoic, simply raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing around the corners of his lips. He didn't need to say anything; his expression conveyed his complete lack of interest in Nagito's petty comparison. He was used to this sort of thing; being constantly praised for his looks was a burden he'd learned to carry, but it didn't mean he valued it above all else. He was, rather, annoyed by the attention.
Naruto, however, was not so stoic. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from indignation. "Hey," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, "looks aren't everything, you know. I'm way stronger than I look." His fists clenched, ready for action if Nagito didn't back down. He was fully prepared to physically demonstrate his strength if words proved insufficient. Sasuke scoffed, unimpressed by Nagito's comment. "I'm not interested in your pathetic attempts at manipulation," he stated flatly, his gaze unwavering.
Nagito chuckled and spoke calmly. "Okay, okay, I was just joking around," he said, trying to ease the tension. "By the way, what titles do you two hold?"
As Nagito said this, Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. They didn't know if they should tell him, but since they already knew Nagito's and Mikan's titles, they thought it might be good to reciprocate.
Naruto was the first to introduce himself to Nagito with a big smile. "I'm the Ultimate Ninja."
Mikan squeaked. "U-Ultimate N-Ninja? You're really a ninja?"
Naruto nodded. "That's right, I'm a ninja," he said with a big smile.
"I-I didn't know any still existed…" Mikan said, still flabbergasted.
Naruto smirked. "Oh, we're around… sorta," he said to Mikan.
Nagito examined Naruto's attire. His outfit wasn't very ninja-like. He hummed and spoke. "That is rather… surprising to hear; you don't look like a ninja."
"Well, let's just say, it's part of my ninja training to stay hidden," Naruto said proudly.
Nagito thought, "Well, not so hidden now." He then turned his attention to Sasuke and said, "What about you, Uchiha? What's your title?"
Both Naruto and Mikan turned to look at Sasuke. Naruto already knew Sasuke's title, but he didn't know if he would reveal it. Mikan was also interested in knowing Sasuke's title. Sasuke, however, remained thoughtful, his expression serious. "Ultimate Shinobi," he said directly without hesitation, his expression still serious.
To be continued.