Chapter-71
"The applications have arrived," and the two days of rest for the students had passed. Almost everyone now gathered in their classroom, eagerly awaiting the results of the sports festival. Aizawa was still recuperating, seated at his desk with a remote control in hand.
Toru couldn't contain her excitement and squealed, "How exciting! I can't wait to see how many offers we've received!"
"He's quieter than normal," Momo noted with concern, observing Naruto seated beside her at her desk. She also noticed a rather unusual sight: Todoroki was smiling. That was out of character for her, and she frequently glanced in Naruto's direction. Momo couldn't help but wonder if something had happened between them.
"..." Todoroki wasn't the only one displaying atypical behavior. During the entire class, Bakugo was unusually quiet and serious, still nursing the wounds inflicted by Naruto during their fight. The same applied to Deku, Yaoyorozu, and Iida. Despite the consequences of their battles, it didn't hinder their focus on the upcoming professional hero departments.
"It seems like some are feeling more tension than others, and it's not solely because of the internship results," Aizawa mused as he noticed several students fixating their gaze on Naruto, who seemed unfazed and calm. He sighed and pressed a button on the remote control. A large holographic screen appeared on the board, displaying the internship results.
No one was shocked to see Bakugo at the top of the request list, followed by Todoroki and other highly skilled students. Midoriya also secured a respectable tenth place, with numerous requests to work in various departments due to his display of 5% mastery of his power.
Mina raised an eyebrow in confusion when she saw that Naruto's name was at the end of the list with just one request. Why only one? He had proven himself to be the strongest and an intelligent individual with remarkable skills. "Sensei, are you sure the list is accurate? I received eight requests, but Uzumaki-san…" She didn't need to finish her sentence.
"No matter how strong I am, everyone views me as if I were an uncontrolled madman. The department that accepts me will face scrutiny from others. It was expected," Naruto replied, his tone bored. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the screen. He was somewhat surprised that someone was willing to take him in, given the circumstances. His fellow students found his indifference perplexing. Wasn't he bothered by this rejection? And did it not concern him that they labeled him as unstable or even a potential villain?
"With all due respect, Sensei, I must defend Naruto-san," Yaoyorozu raised her hand, drawing the attention of her classmates and the teacher. "He was the one who delivered the best performance in the festival. He secured third place in the first stage of the race, first place in the second stage, and in the tournament, he demonstrated superiority over all of us. Naruto-san deserves recognition for everything he's done. However, it's concerning that almost all hero departments rejected him."
"Being stronger doesn't necessarily make you better," Naruto sighed heavily. He observed the single request he received to join a professional hero department. "If they aim to be 'heroes,' they should prioritize that over seeking recognition."
"But you're the best among us. You should have more offers than us," one of the black-haired girls responded, confused by Naruto's demeanor. Momo contemplated reaching out to her influential mother to secure better offers for the shinobi.
"I'm not better than anyone. I'm just like all of you—full of doubts, emotions, pain, and fear." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He couldn't shake the unsettling dream from the night before, but he didn't feel ready to discuss it further. "The only thing that sets us apart is our individuality."
Aizawa pondered silently. The students seemed to take Naruto's words seriously, and he recognized that Naruto held significant influence over them. However, he couldn't ignore the past violent incident and threat Naruto had made. He remained impassive, still wary of the blonde shinobi.
"..." Aizawa redirected their attention. "Tomorrow, you will report to your respective assigned hero departments. But for now, we'll discuss something equally important for your future as heroes: your hero names."
Naruto muttered in frustration. He felt that this was unimportant, but his objections were disregarded by Aizawa. The students grew tense, anticipating another surprise test.
"Naruto-san, hero names are crucial for our future. They serve not only as our public identity but also help us protect our secret identities," Momo tried to persuade him.
Naruto replied, undeterred, "I know the real names and locations of over 26 professional heroes. If I were a villain, finding them wouldn't be a problem, even if they hide behind a hero's name." His blunt statement sent a shiver through some of his peers. There was no doubt that Naruto wasn't afraid to express his unfiltered thoughts.
"In my eyes you are already a villain," Mineta muttered under his breath, only to feel the blonde's gaze fixed on the back of his neck.
"Hey, shorty, you keep your back door key under a rock that looks like a cat behind a vase. You should change that hiding spot. You never know who might try to break into your home..." Naruto grinned, successfully making the unusual-looking dwarf shake uncontrollably and almost have an accident.
"Enough..." The professional hero sighed and demanded silence before heading to the door. "For picking your hero names, you'll get help from..." He didn't finish as the door flung open abruptly, revealing a heroine known to several.
"Midnight!"
Naruto sat alone, lost in thought, gazing out of the window. He had mentally checked out after confronting the class pervert and paid little attention as his fellow students took their turns to announce their chosen hero names. This whole process just didn't interest him.
"'Ronin' is a word not everyone gets. It means a person who, beyond being called a traitor or outcast by their clan or master, follows their own unique ideals and seeks an independent path in life. They don't serve anyone and simply live life on their own terms, free of regrets. You're a Ronin..."
"I wonder what that guy is up to," Naruto pondered, recalling words from an old 'friend' he hadn't seen in a while. This friend was one of the few people who somewhat shared Naruto's unconventional approach to life.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Unfazed, Naruto looked up when a hand struck his desk. There stood Midnight, her constant calls having been consistently ignored by the uninterested teenager. "Since you didn't pay the slightest attention to your classmates, you must have a cool hero name in mind, right?" the heroine asked, offering him a small blackboard and a pen for his response.
"…" With a casual shrug, Naruto accepted the blackboard, jotted down a message, and handed it back to the blue-haired woman. Yawning, he redirected his gaze out the window. Some of the other students seemed uncomfortable, and Midnight began grinding her teeth in frustration as she received the response.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Technically, he hadn't done anything wrong since he had provided his name on the blackboard, but that wasn't what Midnight wanted. She was determined to get a proper response from the uncooperative teenager.
"We'll end the class for today," Aizawa wisely intervened to put an end to the day's events at UA. The students gathered their belongings and began leaving the classroom, leaving behind a furious Midnight who couldn't contain her anger and broke the blackboard in her hands.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, ma'am, and don't forget it," reading the message again, Midnight couldn't help but feel angered by the word 'ma'am' that Naruto had emphasized. How dare that brat? She was a young heroine in her prime, and nobody should bring up her age like that! She was certainly taking his message a bit too personally.
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