A/N: LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE!!!!

AGGHHHH THEYRE SO CUTE OMG

THANK YOU @mewlady!!! It's so pretty and now im just gonna stare at it for hours lmao

Anyway, enjoy!

~*~*~

--> billnye_therussianspy is ONLINE at privchat/vigilantea/ with 3 others. (Today at 6:37pm)

billnye_therussianspy

        kitsune at it again

        >deatharms_bubblewrap.png

        dude legit just safe proofed the walking hazard tape

pissdrinker98

        >>dude legit just safe proofed the walking hazard tape

        WALKING HAZARD TAPE LMAOOO

        true tho

        my man having the same fashion style as lady gaga

naughtyAngel

        oi lady gaga has good fashion taste

        yall just jealous that death arms can pull off a sexy croptop

pissdrinker98

        i didnt say death arms' costume was bad

billnye_therussianspy

        >>i didnt say death arms' costume was bad

        knowing you, you probably implied it

pissdrinker98

        >>knowing you, you probably implied it

        ok fair but only because im jealous he can pull off a sexy croptop

        i cant get over his name tho

        why would he name himself death arms?? sounds threatening

        dude has terrible naming talent

billnye_therussianspy

        yes, pissdrinker98?

pissdrinker98

        ok

        alright

depressuwu

        GUYS, I JUST SAW TAKA EARLIER!!!

        HE RETURNED MY CAT MR. MISSILE LAUNCHER!!

pissdrinker98

        pics or it didnt happen

depressuwu

        >>pics or it didnt happen

        he disappeared before i could ask for a selfie oof

billnye_therussianspy

        >>GUYS, I JUST SAW TAKA EARLIER!!!

        no way, you gotta be high

naughtyAngel

        >>HE RETURNED MY CAT MR. MISSILE LAUNCHER!!

        u named ur cat mr missile launcher?? bitch what were u on??

depressuwu

        >>no way, you gotta be high

        im only high at night but i saw hiM AT DAYTIME!!

        >>u named ur cat mr missile launcher?? bitch what were u on??

        weed, yall know this but thats not the point, anyway

        TAKA REALLY DID RETURN MY CAT

        he's shorter than i thought lolol

        also ngl his duck-butt hair is kinda cute and i bet his face is just as cute ^^

pissdrinker98

        >>also ngl his duck-butt hair is kinda cute and i bet his face is just as cute ^^

        FBI

        OPEN UP!!!

depressuwu

        WHAT THE FUCK IM JUST SAYING HE MIGHT LOOK CUTE

        I DIDNT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT POSSIBLY DATING HIM EW

        DONT TWIST MY WORDS LIKE THAT

        ALSO WE DONT KNOW THEIR EXACT AGE

billnye_therussianspy

        careful whatchu say next @depressuwu

        or i'll call 911

depressuwu

        >>or i'll call 911

        you mean the only number your phone has other than your mother's??

naughtyAngel

        haha burnnn

billnye_therussianspy

        >>you mean the only number your phone has other than your mother's??

        ok first of all, ow

        second of all, well played

pissdrinker98

        >>ALSO WE DONT KNOW THEIR EXACT AGE

        spoken like a EDP445 sympathizer

depressuwu

        im gonna fuck your mom

pissdrinker98

        you're gonna have to find her first

depressuwu

        thats fine

        i plan to be a paleontologist in the future anyway

pissdrinker98

        ay yo what the fuck

naughtyAngel

        >>i plan to be a paleontologist in the future anyway

        thats the best yo momma so old comeback ive heard in years

        you fuckin obliterated him from the face of the planet

naughtyAngel

        speaking of 911, police and heroes have been trying to catch team 7

        but they keep failing

        so why still continue??

depressuwu

        lolol let them be. more pranks and entertainment for the public

       besides, lets be honest, we all know why

        ✨they're stealing the spotlight✨

pissdrinker98

        true

        authorities are now bothering vigilantes because team 7 is doing their job better than them lmaooo

        im feelin kinda salty for them ngl

        like, let them do what they're good at, they aint hurting anybody

        quite the opposite rlly

        except maybe for a few hero businesses here and there

billnye_therussianspy

        ^^^

        exactly!!

        i like mujina best

        she cured my grandma from cancer

depressuwu

        i like taka best!!

pissdrinker98

        >>i like taka best!!

        of course you fucking do

depressuwu

        im gonna eat your ass and make it look like an accident

naughtyAngel

        oh also!! have you seen kawauso and inu??? they have pics now!!

        >kawauso_and_inu.jpg

        its kinda blurry but its the clearest photo there is of them currently

        ngl my bi ass is thriving asfghjjkl

billnye_therussianspy

        o shit kawauso is my type sksks

depressuwu

        inu's ass may be pixelated but it still looks fine

naughtyAngel

        >>o shit kawauso is my type sksks

        rumor has it that hawks is staying in musutafu city for a while because of her

        you think he could be on a mission regarding the new vigilantes?

pissdrinker98

        >>you think he could be on a mission regarding the new vigilantes?

        idk he didnt approach team 7 and he had multiple chances

        probably only lookin for inu or kawauso

        or maybe both

        not rlly sure

depressuwu

        >>rumor has it that hawks is staying in musutafu city for a while because of her

        YOOO I KNOW THIS RUMOR

        hawks is asking local heroes around specifically about kawauso

        like ???

        i ship

billnye_therussianspy

        >>i ship

        no

        cringe stop

        he's just doing his job

depressuwu

        >>cringe stop

        not as cringey as your ahegao hoodie

        also you cant stop me

        im a sucker for forbidden love dynamics

        watch as i make #kawahawks trending

billnye_therussianspy

        >>watch as i make #kawahawks trending

        cursed

        >>rumor has it that hawks is staying in musutafu city for a while because of her

        i think it's more because of either the ua sports festival or TREES' debut

        i heard theres gonna be a banquet party after the sports festival for TREES

        all heroes are welcome

naughtyAngel

        hyped for the sports festival

        also i almost forgot about TREES

        didnt its ceo graduate from ua??

        sad that he'll probably be against vigilantes and help hunt them down

pissdrinker98

        that reminds me

        theres another vigilante

        but more of an anti hero tbh

        i think his name is stain

billnye_therussianspy

        OH YEAH THE HERO KILLER

        my idol

        he's speaking faxx

        i stan him

naughtyAngel

        >>my idol

        HELLO??? HERO KILLER?? IDOL?!?!?!

        ?!?!?

        HE'S A MURDERER???

billnye_therussianspy

        i dont agree with the killing thing but i kinda agree with his ideology

        hold on he has a video

        >herokiller_ideology.mov

        his whole philosophy revolves around getting rid of fake heroes

        and lets be real

        we know plenty of fakes

        coughs endeavor coughs

naughtyAngel

        >>>herokiller_ideology.mov

        bruh i cant take the vid seriously asffghjkl

        the evanescence bring me to life audio kept distracting me

        other than that, there were good points

        but no thanks

        he's still a killer

depressuwu

        >>>herokiller_ideology.mov

        isnt that vid banned online by the authorities???

        shit delete that

        we might get in trouble with cybersecurity

        @billnye_therussianspy i wont be surprised if you end up in jail

pissdrinker98

        @depressuwu lmao at least your pedo ass will know someone in prison

depressuwu

        @pissdrinker98 yall never letting this go, are you?

pissdrinker98

        @depressuwu no

billnye_therussianspy DELETED >herokiller_ideology.mov (Today at 7:02pm)

billnye_therussianspy

        i'll just replace the hero killer vid with this

        >man_throws_rock_in_washingmachine.mp4

naughtyAngel

        ASDFGGHJKKLL I KNOW THIS

        THE CHAOS

        THE UTTER CONFIDENCE OF THE MAN THROWING THE HUGE ROCK IN

        THE CHILD CHEERING IN THE BACKGROUND

        THE VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE LAUNDRY APPLIANCE

        THE WASHING MACHINE HEART CHORUS AUDIO

        THE FLOODING

        THE FACT THAT THIS WAS DONE INDOORS

        EVERYTHING IN THIS VIDEO IS SENDING MEEE

depressuwu

        >>>man_throws_rock_in_washingmachine.mp4

        did someone just legit put a mitski song in a meme video??

pissdrinker98

        amazing

        iconic

        10/10

        this is the magnum opus of our generation

naughtyAngel

        he called the video "rock n roll" in twitter

        this man exudes pure himbo energy

        i kin

billnye_therussianspy

        fun fact: the man in the vid is the older brother of TREES' head

pissdrinker98

       NO FUCKING WAY HAHAAHAHA

depressuwu

        ah yes, the idiot brother and the successful brother

        what a dynamic

        balanced as all things should be

billnye_therussianspy

        the thing is, washing machine man aint even an idiot

        he only did it because his spoiled little cousin asked him to just to piss off his younger brother

        dude has a doctorate in business administration

        and is as equally successful as his brother

pissdrinker98

        (sana ol)

        >>the thing is, washing machine man ain't even an idiot

        WASHING MACHINE MAN ADFGGHJJK

naughtyAngel

        the disrespect to the shizen brothers

        i will not stand this

        yall should call them by their REAL names

billnye_therussianspy

        @naughtyAngel you literally just called one of them a himbo a few minutes ago

naughtyAngel

        being called a himbo is a compliment

        besides

        both brothers are my type lol

        oop gotta make myself dinner now

        cup noodles lezgo

        byeee

naughtyAngel is OFFLINE (Today at 7:23pm)

billnye_therussianspy

        yea i gotta go do hw now

        cya

billnye_therussianspy is OFFLINE (Today at 7:23pm)

depressuwu

        time to go

        btw, between the shizen brothers, i like tobirama best

pissdrinker98

        i thought ur gonna mention their little cousin madara lol

depressuwu

        STOOOOPPPPP

        I DONT LIKE CHILDREN THAT WAY

        leave me aloNEEEE

depressuwu is OFFLINE (Today at 7:24pm)

pissdrinker98

        you cant escape your taka incident

        we will remember you like this

        also, i prefer hashirama just for the video alone lol

pissdrinker98 is OFFLINE (Today at 7:24pm)

~*~*~

        Kamui Woods did not have a good week.

        Now that he's writing about it in his journal (not diary, there's a difference), he recalled everything bad that happened in his dubbed Hell week.

        On the first day of his Hell week, he almost had a close-call casualty that would've been detrimental to his reputation. He should've taken it as a bad omen that this week was cursed, but unfortunately, he was not the superstitious type, and continued on his duty for the rest of the week. After all, the wicked never rests, and the good has to prevail. So, he endures.

        And then two days after that, the USJ Incident happened. The two perpetrators-- Shigaraki Tomura and Kurogiri-- were defeated by two promising UA students, and were on their way to Tartarus. That is, until some villains (probably their accomplices) bailed them out of their transports, killed all guards present, and escaped with the prisoners. Nearby heroes, him included, were called as back-ups when the distress call was sent, but they arrived too late and were only in time to witness the crime scene. Once seeing the bloodbath, Kamui Woods felt real failure for the first time in his career.

        After another two days, three new vigilantes made their debut in Musutafu city, and had completely upset its hero community within only a few days. The balance of the hero system was tipped from its scales, and now, heroes were hassling to rebuild its foundations at night. And of course, there were also two new vigilantes at night who somehow kept finding criminal bases like kinder egg surprises, while the police struggled to locate them.

        Sure, the public benefitted from the vigilantes' services, but as for the heroes, well... not so much.

        Okay, so the new vigilantes may or may not have indirectly poked holes into the hero system-- that the dawning reality of a hero's income relies on fame and popularity, rather than effective and consistent activity. This also sparked outrage from loud minorities at the realization that some heroes would rather search for flashier and bigger villains than negligible criminals, just for better pay and exposure.

        Kamui Woods won't defend those types of heroes. He detests them really, but he admits that he can see where they're coming from.

        This made him begrudgingly admire that Team 7 does not discriminate on any crimes. As long as they see it, they will do something about it. Heck, some of them would voluntarily do mundane tasks, and he can barely make a list of heroes who would willingly spend their time on chores.

        Like Kitsune helping old ladies cross roads, carrying baggage for pregnant women, accompanying lost children to find their parents, and so on and so forth. Taka, while efficient with his crime-fighting, can sometimes be found searching and returning lost pets. Lastly, there was Mujina who's violating more than one medical policy for not being a licensed doctor (and should be arrested for it), but so far, she has a one-hundred percent success rate with all her patients-- no matter how critical their conditions were.

        Kamui Woods hates to admit it, but they are good at what they do, despite being only children. He can only imagine what they'd be like as adults. They have the entire package wrapped in a pretty red ribbon: offense, defense, first-aid, and rescue. Not only are they good at their jobs, they're also good at looking good.

        Charisma-- how they presented themselves in their first interview; how they showed how fun and human they were, and how they looked more down-to-earth and reliable that way. He would have thought the children planned and staged their appearances, but their argument-- their dynamic-- was too authentic to fake. Besides, they're just kids; they don't have that much grasp on human psychology to manipulate the masses yet (do they?). Nevertheless, Team 7 succeeded garnering public love and attention.

        (And dammit, Team 7? Are there Teams 1-6? Is it possible that there's more of them?)

        They accomplished all this in less than a week, and they're still on-going. It's been, what now? Two weeks? Yeah, two weeks since the vigilantes' first appearance.

        Usually, vigilantes are left alone by heroes as they're under the police's business, but because they're affecting the local heroes' livelihoods, both sides are on the hunt for them. Don't get him wrong, while the vigilantes are wholly beneficial for the public, their service can be detrimental in the long term.

        Like say, for example, some heroes would move out of Musutafu city due to lack of demand and settle someplace else-- a neighboring city, another country; who knows? Hero numbers within the city would then dwindle as the public would majorly depend on Team 7. This lasts for a couple of years. What would happen, if say, Team 7 suddenly disappears? What then? Force the heroes who left to come back? Wait for hero schools to pump out new graduates to fill out the lacking numbers? What if, one day, Team 7 turns rogue? Into anti-heroes? Into villains?

        Without knowing their identities, their home lives, the influential people in their social circles, hell, even the full details of their quirks-- Team 7 can be a difficult enemy if they suddenly turn to the other side. And they can easily blend into the public without their masks.

        (Mujina intimately knows the human anatomy inside-out; if she can heal people, she can break them. Taka, with his stealth and fighting prowess, can easily assassinate anyone. Kitsune can match any number with his clones; with his expert maneuverability and high stamina, he can match an average soldier. This estimation only came from the abilities they showed so far. Kamui Woods is severely underestimating the destruction they can actually do.)

        Both heroes and police officers have been keeping an eye out for the trio, and with their numbers, they're supposed to be enough in one city.

        The thing is, Team 7 can't be caught.

        Believe him, he tried.

        And he failed.

        Utterly and spectacularly.

        Mujina somehow magically disappears after turning from a corner; Taka blends well with the shadows, even in daytime; and, Kitsune...

        Kitsune is a little orange Menace. He deserves that capitalized title for the trouble he brings. Never has Kamui Woods simultaneously both hated and feared a color to this extent before-- orange, nonetheless.

        The vigilante's clone quirk is a force to be reckoned with if used against you.

        No, the boy's not really violent, per se, but he's not exactly harmless either. When it comes to a hero's pride, the boy is downright destructive. Honestly, Kamui Woods would rather be maimed or killed by him, than be a victim to his pranks.

        Dying or being injured from attacks is a lot less humiliating than being made a fool of. In public.

        He remembers being coated by glue and googly eyes; the pink glitter sticking to the crevices of his costume; the polka-dotted paint staining his body; even placing the classic 'Kick me' note on his back-- he was sick of it.

        (People won't stop giggling whenever he passes by them.)

        Kamui Woods decided that he won't chase after Kitsune without another hero as back-up, because damn it, if he's going to be humiliated, he's not going down alone.

        However, he noticed that Team 7's activity decreased this week. He's unsure if it has anything to do with UA's Sports Festival within the next two days. After all, T.R.E.E.S. would be debuting soon, and security would tighten. It would be a wise move for them to observe the new security rotation first before moving actively again.

        Sighing, the Wooden Hero let his pen hover over his journal's blank page, trying to think of at least one good thing that happened in his Hell week. At first, he thought of none, but then he reminisced the details of the first day of the week-- his 'almost-fuck-up'. Not exactly the most appropriate way to call it, but that's accurately what it is.

        Like he recalled earlier, on the first day of his hell week, a villain almost made him harm civilians by redirecting his special move at the hostages with the use of a portal quirk. While it's true that the villain had a hand in it, Kamui Woods takes blame, as he was rather hasty to have the villain maneuver away from the captives. It was irresponsible, especially that he's aware of the villain's quirk.

        If his arbor quirk had hurt any of the civilians, their trust in him as a hero would have plummeted.

        Luckily, there was a late-bloomer who awakened his quirk in the middle of the attack. The boy's quirk was rather convenient for his misdirected attack too. And coincidentally, it was a portal quirk as well.

        It was a swirly, warping entryway to a pocket dimension that absorbed his wrongly placed strike.

        Thanks to the kid's help, he was able to apprehend the villain with no casualties. The civilian boy was so euphoric that he awakened his quirk, he named it after Kamui Woods, himself. He won't lie and say he wasn't flattered by it; he's actually giddy that a kid named a quirk-- a part of his person-- after him.

        An ocular dimension-portal quirk: Kamui.

        Everyone got away from the scene unscathed, but for some reason, when his branches retreated back to his arms, they were coated with blood. It was easily explained by the boy's bleeding eye.

        Just to be safe, he escorted the boy to the hospital. The kid was confined for four days, but only for quirk testing and counseling reasons along with registration and paperwork updates rather than medical attention. After that, Tsugunai Obito was discharged with no recorded injuries other than eye strain.

        (Obito even escorted an old lady to a taxi.)

~*~*~

        The second week of training has already passed, which completes the crammed two-week Sports Festival training you've arranged for your three students. Tomorrow is the last day of it, and then the day after that is the long-awaited UA Sports Festival, itself.

        You'll admit, Teenage Team 7 exceeded your expectations, as you were surprised with the gap they created between their current selves from their former selves. You're actually confident that the three UA students would ace the tournament with flying colors. Shinsou's dream of transferring to the hero course doesn't seem so impossible now-- that, of course, depends on how smart he'd play. Still, no longer impossible.

        For tomorrow, they'll face their final test-- the bell test against Kakashi-- where they'll go all-out together.

        Sakura bets that in the bell test, her student, Shinsou, would be the MVP.

        (Even though the point of the test was teamwork, you politely disagreed with her, because it would be Ashido who would be pulling the team's weight. Meanwhile, Kakashi didn't place any bets on Kaminari.)

        Speaking of Sakura, you took turns with her being absent for a week just to help take care of Eri. Every time she wasn't available for training, you'd cover her part with Shinsou, and vice-versa with you and her. While his training without Sakura continued to be successful and finished with no casualties, Shinsou claimed it wasn't the same without his main teacher. You just vaguely explained to him that your and Sakura's schedules aren't consistent for now.

        Why? Well, after adopting Eri, you and Sakura have to aid the boys on how to care for a child properly. Once the two orphans learn how to care for another orphan is when you and Sakura will return back to your usual albeit adjusted schedules.

        So far, Eri was adapting well with your group, however, she's still hesitant to interact with any of you other than Sasuke. Once again, you're baffled by that development because for all your life, it was usually Sasuke who's being babied and not him babying someone else. You always saw Sasuke as the younger sibling type, not the protective older one. Clearly, the little girl saw differently.

        In fact, when you talked about disguising her in case of bad people looking for her, she insisted that she wants her hair dyed the same black as Sasuke's, while using a navy blue bandanna--similar to Sasuke's hitai-ate-- to cover her horn. She also mentioned wearing high turtlenecks or high collared shirts with muted colors. Eri was trying so hard to imitate Sasuke, it was admittedly... adorable.

        (You didn't think you'd ever associate that word with Sasuke again.)

        Naturally, Naruto and Sakura wouldn't let him live it down.

        Despite his annoyance towards the constant teasing, your fellow Uchiha said and did nothing to discourage Eri's endeavor of copying his style... which only fueled his teammates' teasing.

        You can't believe that a former, murderous, hateful avenger is now wrapped around a six-year-old girl's finger.

        Other than Eri, Team 7's decreased activity was mainly due to a certain flying hero who you've yet to deal with. Word around the streets is that the man was trying to find you after your first meeting with him but to no avail. Kakashi inevitably asked you about it, but you told him not to worry as it's your problem to deal with, and yours alone.

        None of your family will be dragged into whatever the hell Hawks has planned for them.

        That's why tonight, you plan on finding him to finally know what he wants (because dammit, he'll keep asking random people if you don't). Whatever hopes he has regarding your squad, you'll crush it ruthlessly. Though, probably not like what you did with Eri's supposed father.

       That macabre genjutsu is only a last, surefire resort made for the worst kind.

        (Itachi taught you well.)

       Waiting by the water tower where you first met him, you looked out for familiar crimson wings, wondering if you should draw out your Anti-Quirk seal draft and test it on him as your first prototype. Designing a seal that's made to suppress something at a genetic level is... an interesting venture.

       There were a lot of factors you didn't have to consider before, and it was a fascinating puzzle to your adventurous mind. Despite the intriguing challenge, you didn't invest as much time on it as you did with the transportation seal to get you all back home. Infuriatingly, you're still not making much progress even with your research on theories regarding multiverses.

       Mood soured by your reminded failure, your mind drifted back to the seal that you're at least making progress with-- the Anti-Quirk seal. In case of its failure, the best outcome would be suppressing the least damaging chemical make-up of the body like melanin and turning your test subject into an albino. The worst would be shutting down protein production which would essentially kill the subject.

       ... It wouldn't be a good idea to risk killing a renowned hero.

        Suddenly, the moon's light no longer reached you, as it was obscured by a very familiar flying figure.

       "So you finally showed up after days of ghosting me. I'm hurt, really, Kawa-chan,"

       And there he is, acting like a jilted lover despite only meeting once.

       ... And Kawa-chan?

       "Didn't think we had an agreed schedule," You nonchalantly greeted the hero back, before standing by the edge of the rooftop then walking to where he's hovering by.

       "Mou, do we have to arrange one?" Hawks playfully whined, before letting an easy smile grace his lips. "Can't we just hang out at the chance we see each other?"

       "If that's the case, then you can't really complain about me ghosting you, as you've never seen me at all to give you the chance to 'hang out'," You humored his attempt of a small talk, but he just casually waved off your reasoning, before landing in front of you.

       "On the contrary, you've been deliberately avoiding me by being inactive. I asked a man with a bird-whisperer quirk to talk to crows, but all crows he came in contact with are fiercely loyal to you and won't chirp a word about your whereabouts," Despite his voice sounding playful, what he said was truthful. Still, you were not convinced by his weak argument.

       "The crows not talking don't prove anything," You only grew incredulous (and suspicious) when he easily conceded.

       "True," He said, which was mentally followed by: other than the fact that he now has a confirmation that your quirk involves crows. You not correcting him spoke enough volumes. "Speaking of quirks, I find it curious,"

       When you didn't say anything, he continued.

       "I searched through the Quirk Registration System regarding crow quirks, specifically about yours," He openly admitted, and you were interested to know what he found. You also stored in your knowledge that there's a record of quirks somewhere, which could be useful in the future. "There are those with mutant type quirks like a boy having a crow head, a man with crow wings; there was also a transformation quirk that turns a girl into a crow; an emitter quirk that lets a boy command animals, including crows. Despite all those varieties, I didn't find a quirk that allows a person to specifically summon crows whenever and wherever like yours. Care to enlighten me?"

       "And you're confident that I'll willingly give you an answer because..?" You raised a brow at his poor attempt of an interrogation.

       "Fair enough," He shrugged, and you were kinda surprised at how easily he gave up. Of course, your guard went back up and thought that it can't be this easy to have him stop meddling.

       Deciding that you've had enough of running in indefinite circles, you just went straight to the point to get this over with.

       "What is it that you actually want from us?"

       Hawks wasn't surprised by the question. Knowing how smart and inquisitive you are, he saw this coming; he just didn't think you would be asking this soon.

       "Maah, so cynical," He lamented dramatically, before letting his eyes crinkle with a flirty grin, resting his hands behind his head. "Can't I just be intrigued? Y'know, a hero interested in another hero?"

       "We both know very well that my group are not heroes,"

       "You guys sure act like it,"

       "And yet you approach me like the vigilante I am. Heroes don't usually beat around the bush when they want something from other heroes," You prodded, and his disappearing smile and slumping posture showed that he finally relented.

       "I can't convince you otherwise, can I?" His inquiry came out more as a resigned statement. He then sighed, his eyes now seemingly sharper. "Alright, my employers want to offer an open contract," Not exactly a lie. However, not the whole truth either. The open contract part was Hawks' idea alone; he very much doubts you'd accept otherwise. He'll try to work around it.

       "No." You deadpanned.

       "Eh?! Rejection already?!" The hero spluttered, his laid back demeanor returning, before pouting. "Mou, you didn't even think about it,"

       "There's nothing to think about. We're not for hire." You easily explained. Turning your heel to leave, he spoke up again to further convince you.

       "The Hero Commission is officially a government agency. Whatever you want under their jurisdiction can be granted. Money? Identity renewal? Protection? Information? Just name your price,"

       "You sound desperate to have us working under them," You remarked as a matter of fact, but despite your frank comment, Hawks remained unbothered by it.

       "I'm actually quite curious what it's like working with you," The blond honestly stated (it didn't escape your notice that he diverted from directly addressing your remark), before his tone took a subtle melancholic tone. "You kinda remind me of someone, y'know? I just don't want you to end up like her,"

       Curious of the conversation's direction, you prompted him to continue.

       "She ended up like what, exactly?"

       He gave a rueful smile.

       "An enemy."

       And finally, you understood the entirety of the situation.

       "So that's how it is," You surmised thoughtfully. "They gave an ultimatum,"

       Either you're with them or against them. It's as simple as that.

       "Nothing personal, really. I've got nothing against vigilantes," Hawks placated, raising two hands in universal surrender. "Unfortunately, it's just business,"

       "They do know we have the ability to kill them, right?" Despite the threat, your tone came off as a casual question.

       "Oh yeah, definitely. You can kill," The hero agreed, before turning away from you to gaze at the cityscape below in pensive thought.

       "You seem pretty casual at the thought of the deed," You noted, but he just shrugged, his golden eyes now looking back at you with an unreadable emotion.

       "Well, there are times when your hand is forced, and you have to do what you have to do," He said, in a way that gave you the impression that he's aware (aware of what exactly, you don't know. Aware that killing is necessary? Aware that sometimes, there's no other choice? Aware that eventually, he would have to do the same?). "Though, I doubt you would carry out that threat,"

       At this, you're intrigued.

       "How are you so sure?"

       "Too much legal trouble," He nonchalantly answered, as if the hypothetical thought of you killing his bosses did not trouble him. "Other than that, you don't seem the type to kill as first resort,"

       And now, you're impressed.

       Smiling underneath your porcelain mask, you scoffed out a confession.

       "You're good at judging characters at first impressions,"

       "What can I say? I'm a people person," He preened at your praise, his red feathers puffing slightly in pride.

        In that moment, you shared some sort of camaraderie with the blond hero. You can't really hold this against him-- orders are orders, and he is no different from a shinobi loyal to his village. You can respect that, at the very least. However, respect is not interchangeable with trust.

       "... Fine, I'll think about it," You conceded, but immediately followed it with, "However, if I were to agree, I'd only be speaking for myself, not my team," He beamed regardless.

       "That's fine. I can work with that," He accepted, before kicking off the ground to hover in the air. Just when he's about to turn and leave, he briefly contemplated on something, before he suddenly asked you, "Can I have your number?"

       "What for?" You questioned skeptically, and he seemed to be amused by your response. As if he knows something that you don't.

       "To contact you," He coolly replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Y'know, in case you agree,"

       "And if I don't?" You challenged steadily.

       "Then I'll keep looking for you," He mischievously winked.

        Basically, he just gave you an illusion of choice. Well, that simply won't do.

       "If I agree, I'll be the one looking for you." You declared vehemently, not willing to accept otherwise. Hawks seemed to get the idea, and as compromise, he offered:

       "If that's the case, here's my number then," Handing you a firm paper card, he let his arm hang, waiting for you to take it. Once you did, he gave a familiar salute, before soaring higher. "Use it wisely. Ja ne!"

        And then, he flew away.

        As soon as he was no longer in sight, you suspiciously eyed the card he gave you, easily memorizing the only number printed on it. After observing it, you let yourself grin under your mask before crumpling the paper and throwing it away by the side.

        You left afterwards.

...

        Watching the tracking system on his phone's screen, the tracker stayed on the same spot longer than it should, and that's when he knew he hadn't fooled her.

        "Smart cookie..." Hawks smiled to himself, before tucking his phone back in his jacket's pocket. He knew it wouldn't be this easy, otherwise he would've been disappointed if he got her on his first try. Well, looks like Public Safety wasted big money on that paper-thin tracking device for nothing.

        He was right about Kawauso being fun.

        It's not often he gets a mission that isn't boring while having little to zero possible casualties; not to mention it doesn't have a definite deadline. No shady business, no backstabbing; just two spies trying to outspy the other... even when both of them knew they're spies.

        Hawks knows a fellow infiltration agent when he sees one, and Kawauso checks everything out in his mental list.

        Despite her threats, her intimidation, and the ability to carry out those threats, Hawks doesn't have anything to worry about dying by her hands.

        He managed to keep track of her activity, no matter how elusive her group was, and he's confident with his conclusions. She could be a threat, but she isn't. Not to what really matters.

        Kawauso and Inu cracked underground business deals, revealed human trafficking rings, captured serial killers-- they saw most of the worst humanity has to offer, but they have yet to dirty their hands (at least, in this world).

        The Wing Hero respects her for that, hence his honest-casual approach to her.

        Plus...

        There's just something exciting about being on a secret mission, with the target being aware that he's on a secret mission. Usually, when enemies know he's a spy, they either stay silent and keep distance or try to eliminate him (often both). Kawauso does neither. She knows he can't be trusted, and yet she tries her luck (skill, in this context) to continue talking to him even with the possible risk of her slipping tongue and revealing something she shouldn't. His skill in interrogation may be unorthodox but it's proven to be effective by his consistent successes. And yet, she doesn't give anything vital away, which is impressive as Hawks could work with any minute detail.

        She's interesting that way.

        So far, Hawks could see that it's neither arrogance nor ignorance that has her talking. She's rightly confident in her safe-keeping skills, and he wonders if her skills in interrogation could match that.

        The mind games, the word puzzles, the secret codes-- who could do better? Who can make who talk? Who starts and who ends? How much can they say without revealing too much? How much half-truths would have to be said before one of them starts lying?

        (The first to lie is the loser.)

        It's like a contest of sorts.

        A game of cat and mouse, that even he himself doesn't know who is which.

        And Keigo is willing to stick around to find out.

~*~*~

(The next day...)

        The bell test finished, the moment Kakashi let one of the teenagers take the bell.

        Surprisingly, Kaminari was the MVP of the test, and for a good reason.

        You're curious how he'll apply himself at the actual event.

        Kaminari Denki has good tactical intellect if the situation calls for it, and he is now capable of short-range fighting as opposed to before when he's limited to just long-range. Plus, he's a fast hands-on learner, and a stunningly good leader.

        Ashido Mina has good reflexes and body control. You taught her how to weaponize her flexibility with her quirk, and if she plays it right, she can practically be untouchable. Additionally, as depicted by her social nature, she's good at adapting to make an opportunity out of any situation.

        Shinsou Hitoshi has the biggest and tallest frame out of the three of them; so, of course, he's physically superior. With Sakura's special training regime, he can now fully capitalize his body's full potential with well-developed muscles in the right places.

        They may be better than before, but they're centuries too early to outclass a genius jounin.

        So naturally, they're all exhausted and beat up while Kakashi didn't have a single strand of hair out of place.

        "Ugh... He definitely... threw that fight..." Kaminari wheezed, whilst lying his back on the ground, before letting the bell dangle in front of his face to observe the embodiment of their success.

        "But we... still... won!" Ashido optimistically cheered, even while panting on her knees, her shoulders heaving and muscles aching in pure exhaustion.

        "I don't get why we can't fight someone closer to our skill levels," Shinsou-- the individual with the highest stamina of the three-- pointed out, specifically looking at you for answers from his seated position. "Why didn't we fight Sakura instead?"

        A fair argument, you'll admit (even though they'd still be outclassed). After all, even though Sakura is Shinsou's main teacher, she's one of Kakashi's students first, hence having a closer standing in skills with them, however...

        "Because she would've tripled the number of your bones in your body if she lands a hit on any of you," You replied seriously, and all three seemed to stiffen at the reminder of the pinkette's 'quirk'.

        "How strong even is Sakura?" Ashido asked, curious, and it was Kakashi who answered her inquiry with a cheerful eye-smile that was comical with his delivery.

        "Strong enough to decide whether Japan deserves to keep Mount Fuji or not,"

        "Of course she can decimate a fucking mountain," Shinsou grumbled, but his tone no longer possessed any bitterness towards physically-inclined quirk-users. Looks like Sakura taught him things other than fighting.

        As the silence carried on, you decided to get to work and heal any of their injuries and sore muscles as you usually do after training-- starting with Ashido. After all, tomorrow is the big day, and it's best for them to rest sooner than later to have the best performance.

        "So... what now?" Kaminari dully asked, staring at the sky.

        "Now, the rest of your day is free," Kakashi chirped, before bringing out his infamous R-rated book and sitting by the engawa's staircase. The book cover was different but familiar, which implies that he bought the sequel.

        "... But it's only four in the afternoon," The blond pointed out, and your partner raised a brow.

        "And..?"

        "We always end at eight," Kaminari stated, and the jounin only shrugged.

        "Like I said, the rest of your day is free,"

        "No way, I don't believe you. There must be a twist here," Kaminari looked at Kakashi distrustfully, scowling. "Like the trick in Kung Fu Panda,"

        At this, you and Kakashi were both confused.

        "Kung Fu Panda?" You repeated, baffled by what a black and white bear has something to do with this.

        "Yeah, like the teacher told his student that he's free to eat, but he steals the food away because there's no rule against it!" You were amused by Kaminari's trust issues when it came to your partner at the most mundane of things, in contrast to how he fully trusted Kakashi's training regime.

        "Now, don't give us any more ideas, but if you really want to--" Kakashi chuckled mischievously, and instantly, Ashido and Shinsou reacted.

        "Kaminari!"

        "Shut up, moron!"

        "Okay! Okay! We'll rest!" The blond conceded from his suspicions. Then, as if contemplating something, he sheepishly asked you both. "... You'll watch us tomorrow, right?"

        At this, you genuinely smiled. 

        Even though it's less than ideal for shinobi to be in a crowded place, you can do it for them.

        "We already reserved seats and bought the tickets," Kakashi reassured, his eyes crinkling.

        "Sakura would even bring some of her friends over," You added, and this seemed to have hyped the children.

        "Man, I'm so excited to show off, it's making me giddy!" Kaminari exclaimed, almost vibrating in his place. "We are so gonna flex on our classmates--"

        For the next hour, you were content on healing them, with the teenagers' chatter serving as white noise. Kaminari did most of the talking.

...

        Shinsou Hitoshi never had friends the moment his quirk manifested.

        As depressing as that sounds, it's unfortunately true. He never had anyone with a consistent presence in his life. Sure, his older brother loves and supports him, but he's a full-fledged adult now and is often busy. Despite his love being a constant in Hitoshi's life, his presence simply... isn't.

        (But his brother tries to be there whenever he can. He tries. That's all Hitoshi could ask for.)

        In his childhood, Hitoshi attempted to make some people to be his constant in life to remedy his loneliness-- to make friends. However, 'villainous' quirks apparently exist and society labeled him to have one, even though he was just a scrawny four-year-old who's clueless and confused why people started treating him like a (rejectedunwantedunloveable) pariah.

        (He pretends his parents are just busy and not actively avoiding both him and his brother. They do not call.)

        Mind-related quirks tend to fall under the villain category, and no matter how he tries to dissuade others that he's not like their perceived stereotypes, it's just... fruitless endeavor.

        He tried being nice, tried being friendly; hell, he even became a doormat at some point, but when nothing changed, he just gave up. They all saw him as a ticking time-bomb that would blow up to be the villain they always thought he was and would be.

        (In some of his seething tantrums, he thought of just not giving a fuck and be the villain they all think he was, out of pure rage. Revel in the idea that, hey, this is what they expect of him so why disappoint?)

        However, Hitoshi had always been a petty, spiteful person. He didn't fall to the temptation of his blind anger, and instead played the long game of 'hey I'm gonna prove them all wrong'.

        So, yes...

        As trivial as it sounds, he wanted to be a hero out of spite-- that not only did he get into UA with a 'villainous' quirk, but he also made it despite it not being strong like other destructive quirks.

        He'll prove it all on the day of the Sports Festival.

        But then, along the way, he realized: he didn't have a plan. He didn't know what kind of hero he wanted to be; what fighting styles he wished to adopt; what area of heroism he'd work on (Rescue? Offense? Support?)-- nothing. His plan ends once he's moved into the heroics class, and he doesn't even know if he'll succeed.

        That's what he gets for being motivated by spite. His assessment was just as inconsiderable as his incentive, and boy did he dig himself in a deeper grave when he antagonized the class he wanted to be in.

        Despite it all...

        Shinsou Hitoshi never regretted confronting Class 1-A on the day the Sports Festival was announced.

        Because there, he met a certain pinkette and blond who introduced him to people who would change his life forever.

        Everything he knew, everything he understood, everything he thought of-- one way or another, they have an influence in changing them.

        He now knew what kind of hero he wanted to be; understood that the quirks people are born with are beyond his and their control (now that he thought about it, it was hypocritical of him to detest others for their 'lucky' quirk); his goal was no longer fueled just by pettiness. And...

        He has friends now-- people he can be happy with just as he can be annoyed with. God, he didn't expect to be friends with idiots. Their teachers should've seen them struggling with basic chemistry and physics theories that made him almost rip his hair out of frustration.

        Yes, they were once wary of his brainwashing quirk, but they opened up to him that made all three of them comfortable at the thought that they could relate with each other. Ashido told them of her childhood experience with people being hesitant to give her physical affection due to her corrosive quirk (maybe that's why she's touch-starved). And Kaminari shared how people don't trust him swimming in the same pool as them (maybe that's why he often doubts himself). Knowing people--friends--who have similar experiences with him made Hitoshi cathartic.

        His friends may not be many in numbers, but to him it's plenty... because he's already tired with just two of them.

        Tired, but satisfied.

        Plus, Sakura was there to buffer their stupidity every once in a while. Dumb they may be, but their hearts are in the right places, and it's their genuinety that made him think that 'yeah, I can see them in my future'.

        His heart that's once reserved only for his brother is now open to five more people.

        "--speaking of quirks, I don't get why you call your quirk brainwashing, when you control people rather than change how they think," Kaminari wondered aloud, snapping Shinsou from his thoughts. "Why not call it mind control?"

        Hitoshi can always rely on Kaminari to ask tactless questions like that.

        Just before Shinsou could open his mouth to answer, the short high-pitched beep of the nearby intercom notified him that someone was outside the compound's gate. Standing from his dirt seat, he approached one of the engawa's pillars to press the button to activate its speaker, opening a communication to whoever was at the doorbell.

       "Tadaima!" There came a loud greeting, a bit scratchy and muffled by the small speaker, but he managed to recognize the voice immediately.

        Oh, nii-san's home, Hitoshi thought to himself, dazed. Usually, his brother is only home during holidays or his short vacation days, and as far as Hitoshi knew, none of those days were anytime soon. It was an anomaly in their schedule, but... not unwelcome. He barely sees his brother in a year, so his selfishness for his sibling's time was not unfounded.

        Pressing the microphone button of the intercom, he greeted back.

        "Okaeri," And like that, the gates opened. With his friends being aware of his home life, they can guess the only person he'd be welcoming home to.

        Turning his attention back to Kaminari, he answered his earlier inquiry.

        "Anyway to answer your question, that's because that quirk name was already taken by my brother," And as an afterthought, Shinsou added, "He wants to change it and name it after a god though,"

        "Guess who just got fired?!" An excited voice called out to him, followed by rushed footsteps, and Hitoshi resisted smacking his forehead at the worst possible first impression his brother could give to their guests.

        "Oh my god, what--" He groaned out, but his brother continued from where he left off, finally making an appearance at the engawa's doorway.

        "And then got hired by both T.R.E.E.S. and UA?!" The man finished, and proceeded to embarrass him further by hugging the stuffing out of him and enthusiastically spinning him in front of their visitors. "You're gonna get tired from seeing my face because from now on you'll be seeing me everyday!"

        Wait, his brother is gonna work for T.R.E.E.S. and UA?

        Hitoshi heard of T.R.E.E.S. and his memory prioritized the fact that the organization's main headquarters is located in Musutafu city-- the same city where UA, the school Hitoshi attends, is located. He doesn't have to travel all over the country anymore. That means his brother is coming home everyday.

        The younger Shinsou doesn't mind the idea of getting sick of seeing his brother's dark unruly hair and his signature long eyelashes. In fact, that thought doesn't even seem possible with how much he adores the only person he considers as family.

        A wide smile threatened to break his face in half, and Hitoshi immediately hugged his brother back in blind euphoria.

        Everything in his life is going right.

        "T-that's great!" But then, Hitoshi remembered he had other people watching, and immediately latched off from his brother. Hiding his flustered face, he coughed on his fist, now self-conscious. "Oh, uh, by the way, we have guests,"

        "Oooh!~ Are these the people you often praise and talk about in our calls?" His brother wagged his eyebrows at him, and he just rolled his eyes.

        "He talks about us?! What did he say?!"

        "Are they all good things?!"

        And of course Ashido and Kaminari would ask those questions.

        His brother is embarrassing him on purpose!

        Exasperated, Hitoshi just sighed and looked at the older Shinsou with a tired but fond look.

        "Nii-san, these are Ashido, Kaminari, Hatake, and Uchiha," Hitoshi introduced, subtly gesturing to each guest according to their names, before gesturing back to his older sibling. "Guys, this is my brother."

        Deciding to take it from there, his brother took the initiative to introduce himself by stepping forward then lightly bowing. Afterwards, he gave a wide grin, his dark eyes sparkling with affability.

        "It's nice to finally meet my otouto's friends and trainers," He started, his grin unfaltering. "My name's Shinsou Shisui."

        (In Hitoshi's elation, he didn't notice the shaking nor paling colors of two certain jounins. He especially didn't notice how miserable one of them looked when his brother didn't recognize either of them.)

        Uchiha and Hatake instantly disappeared in a whirl of leaves without a word.

~*~*~

OMAKE: Venomous Exchange

Your age: 7

Shisui's and Toshiro's age: 8

        Your first C-rank... didn't go according to plan.

        Then again, in war time, that's not an uncommon occurrence.

        In just one mission, you've lost both your teammates, your sensei, the ability to call your hands bloodless, and you almost lost your life. You were alive because of dumb luck and coincidence, and your teammates were dead because of the betrayal of your supposed sensei.

        Why? Simple.

        The jounin in your team was a sleeper agent in a long-term mission, and chose to reveal his true affiliation in your C-rank mission that's supposed to provide vital supplies for the front-liners.

        The story ended with the traitor dead, and you labeled as a prodigy with trust-issues.

        Obito was both worried (and so, so angry) that you had to experience something so traumatizing at such a young age, and the clan praised you for 'handling' it. You didn't handle it like how they thought you did. It was just an accident. However, you couldn't bring yourself to correct them, because you don't want to talk about it and you just want to forget.

        (The senbon was a lot longer than you remembered when you pulled it out of the man's eye.)

        (The body releases urine and feces in death and your teammates-- children-- reeked of it. Two black sealing scrolls weighed heavily in both your pockets and your conscience.)

        (You remember being nigh unresponsive to your brother, and his eyes seemed to dim with an unknown emotion at the sight of you being so smallyoungvulnerable.)

        (You didn't even cry.)

        It's been a week since your disaster of a C-rank, and you vehemently refused to be put in another team, no matter how unprofessional it may be on your part. However, you were a potential valuable asset, so as a compromise, you were put under the tutelage of Uzumaki Kushina-- a very trusted jounin that you can't refuse. Plus, she's the supposed girlfriend of your brother's sensei, so that played a factor to put you at ease.

        Shisui's and Toshiro's first C-rank was easy and successful, while you didn't share the same luck. Besides, their success was to be expected, as they're both the revered geniuses of your generation and they're put in the same team together with an experienced genin.

        (Your friends were replacements for the older genin's deceased teammates.)

        That's why nine months after you three graduated, Shisui's team was immediately placed in Suna's chuunin exams.

        (Konoha needs more soldiers.)

        It's been a month since they've left, and they should be returning today. You actually think they succeeded in earning the promotion, because it's not as far-fetched as one thinks if one knows them well-enough.

        Uchiha Shisui is an Uchiha prodigy, descendent of Uchiha Kagami-- student of the Nidaime Hokage. The expectations on him were high, and he managed to surpass them with flying colors. He unlocked his sharingan at the age of seven; he has high potential to be a genjutsu genius; he's a kenjutsu specialist in the making; and he's currently fast enough to surpass high chuunin.

        Nara Toshiro, on the other hand, is a Nara which makes him an automatic genius. He's also the Nara clanhead's nephew, which means he has access to some techniques that's exclusive to the main branch. However, that's not the highlight of his character, because not only is he a Nara, he is a Nara with motivation. That alone sets him apart from a typical Nara. He invented his own shadow techniques, created his own taijutsu kata, and could match his uncle's intellect. His whole person radiates future elite potential.

        And you guess, that's why they got along so well in the academy to the point they became best friends and rivals.

        Then, you skipped a grade and attended the same class as them, and they changed their dynamic to include you in it.

        It was Toshiro who approached you first.

        ("Yo, you're one of the top students, right? I'm Toshiro; this is Shisui. Wanna play Shogi with me?")

        All three of you just clicked, and it showed through the academy records in team-building exercises. One way or another, the three of you managed to push each other to your limits, which further improved your performances.

        The only reason why you weren't put in the same team as them is because there can't be two Uchihas in one squad. But that's okay. As long as the three of you see each other often, it doesn't really matter. That's why you're not really bothered by the thought of 'being left behind' as you stayed genin while they ascended to chuunin.

        Once they get back from Suna, whether they're promoted or not, you plan on inviting them to eat takoyaki with you to celebrate their first (and hopefully last) chuunin exam. They should be back before noon, as they left early the moment the exams finished.

        However, the moment Shisui's team entered the village gates, you noticed they were missing one member, and his absence was glaringly obvious to you.

        During the time you waited for them by the gates, you didn't consider the possibility of losing one of them. They're just so talented and confident that the thought of either of them being dead was so surreal to you.

        (You've learned that no shinobi is infallible.)

        Once Shisui's dull and red-rimmed eyes caught sight of your inquisitive ones, he disappeared with a quick shunshin, leaving his sensei and only teammate behind.

        You chased after him.

...

        Eventually, you found Shisui by the Naka cliff, his legs swaying by the edge as he distractedly watched the rushing water fall to the river below. You awkwardly stood a few feet behind him, taking your time to settle comfortably by your feet before starting your dreaded conversation.

        "What... What happened out there?" You hesitantly asked, which made Shisui's breath hitch for a moment before exhaling (he sounded tired).

        "... I killed him." He confessed, not even turning to face you. You automatically knew who he was referring to, but it took you a while to process what he just said.

        "What?" Stunned in disbelief, your brows creased together with your lips frowning. "No. No, you didn't. Don't joke about things like that,"

        "I did," Shisui insisted, his voice unwavering despite his admission tasting so bitter on his tongue.

        (And with each time you deny, the guilt twists his insides because he has to repeat the truth until you finally get it.)

        "How?" You challenged, your eyes narrowing and drilling holes at the back of his head.

        "I was fast enough. I could've saved him," He told you monotonously. "I can, I could've, but I didn't, and I just watched and let him die,"

        The way he just explained all that about Toshiro so detachedly made you reel.

        "You wouldn't do that; he's your best friend," You opposed, but even though you wanted to sound confident on that, doubt reared its ugly head and had you ask, "Why would you even do that?"

        "He was improving too fast; I couldn't catch up. I let him die because I was jealous," Shisui admitted, and at this, you were now impatient because what is the point of this and angry because he's a liar he won't do that hehastobelying--

        "You're lying! I know you!" You exclaimed heatedly, your nails diggin on your palms until it broke skin. Eyes shut, you fervently cried out, "You wouldn't let your best friend die because of something as petty as envy!"

        Your voice's echo didn't last in the clearing with the waterfall serving as white noise, but the silence between you and Shisui persisted, until he finally turned around to look at you. He gave you a rueful smile, his eyes glowing red and spinning with a pattern that's unfamiliar to a normal sharingan.

        "Then it looks like you don't know me like you think you do."

        You gawked at the dojutsu with such open incredulity, because something like the Mangekyou sharingan cannot be faked, which meant everything Shisui said was...

        "Y-you're a terrible friend." You croaked out, your dark eyes glaring. Swallowing a lump in your throat, you didn't let your tears stream down your face until you turned around and ran away.

        (With a heavy heart, you tried to ignore the flash of hurt on Shisui's face when you turned tail.)

        With your brother busy on a mission, you decided to find your solace at the Nara Compound for the rest of the afternoon.

~*~*~

        "Checkmate." Shikaku drawled, finishing the game in less than fifteen minutes. You don't really mind losing to the Nara clanhead this easily, as he is the best shogi player his clan has to offer.

        This was your fourth game.

        (Toshiro would often invite you to the compound and brag about his uncle whenever he got the chance. He adored Shikaku as if the man hung the moon and the stars.)

        For today, it's not the pursuit of victory that had you play, it's for what the game reminded you of. The clacking wooden pieces, the extended period of time sitting in a seiza position, the brief pauses to think-- it all reminded you of Toshiro. But...

        Despite being a Nara, Toshiro was the worst shogi player you've ever played with, which is ironic since he's good with its real life counterpart. You guessed it's because he always thinks outside the box, which mixed well with his good improvisation skills.

        A strategic genius in the field he may be, but simple gameplay was not his forte.

        It was as endearing as it was sobering, because a game is simply just that-- a game. While it can be somewhat applied to real life, it's not the same. The real world has more than just pawns, more than two kings, has pieces that weren't even part of shogi, and not all players take equal turns. Too many factors to consider, and that's not even including the factors the players aren't even made aware of.

        (A death of a pawn in real life is a lot more impactful than it should be.)

        Real life is unpredictable, and can only be controlled to an extent.

        But in the game of shogi, everything is controlled by two players. Best of all, it's inconsequential. No deaths to affect you, no sacrifices you're not willing to make, no real loss that's collateral.

        (Shogi gave you a minuscule feeling of what it's like to be a mortal god. In control, but still beatable. Maybe it's a lot more fitting to be called a Kage.)

        "Again." You requested dully, your eyes glazed over the shogi board.

        "No," The man sternly said, breaking you out of your trance.

        "I can still play--" You insisted, but Shikaku cut you off.

        "Our games usually last longer than whatever we're doing right now," He stated, and you only narrowed your eyes in indignant irritation.

        "Okay, I get it, you're better, but I'm still practicing,"

        "You're not practicing, you're just trying to distract yourself," He said as a matter of fact, which had you disgruntledly look away. "This is about the Uchiha boy, isn't it?"

        "No," You lied a bit too quickly, before quickly following it with, "It's about Toshiro,"

        "Which ties back to the Uchiha boy," He surmised easily, before sighing, putting away the shogi board. "I got the report back from their sensei. According to their other teammate, one of the Kiri genin teams ambushed them and killed Toshiro with a poison-coated tanto,"

        (Was it a quick or slow death? Shikaku wonders in a detachment that's only appropriate to grieving veterans, already numbed by the previous war he participated in. He likes to think it was quick. The only thing he could do was to try finding comfort that his brother's son did not die in agony. He could ask his nephew's other teammate, but he doesn't want to risk being given an answer that would haunt him for the rest of his life.)

        "Shisui said he could've saved him, but didn't because he was jealous," You told him, but he remained nonplussed when he asked you:

        "Did he regret it?"

        "Huh?" You owlishly looked at the man, your brows furrowing to wordlessly ask him to elaborate.

        "Did he look guilty? Remorseful?" He expounded, and you only scoffed.

        "Why does it matter? He still got Toshiro killed," No amount of Shisui's guilt will ever bring him back. He chose to do what he did, and now he'll suffer for it.

        (A part of you wanted to comfort Shisui, but another part of you couldn't find it within yourself to comfort a friend killer.)

        "You weren't there to know for sure," Shikaku said patiently. "For all you know, Shisui really wasn't able to save him but keeps telling himself that he could have,"

        You... didn't consider that. But why would Shisui word it like he was the one who killed Toshiro?

        Watching your contemplative look, Shikaku continued.

        (It would be easier to deal with this by simply pinning the blame on the Uchiha, but Shikaku had to remind himself that they're all still children. Besides, it wasn't Shisui who failed his nephew, it was the system that's desperate to rectify the numbers Konoha lost in the still on-going war. The exams were too early for them, and as consequence, his nephew died too early.)

        "People often describe guilt as something that chains or weighs them down. That's not true because it implies that they're trapped and it's something they have to escape from. The truth is that guilt is a dark sea and some people refuse to swim up. Instead, they wallow in its depths, find comfort in its darkness, and it's only a matter of time before they start drowning," He lectured sagely, as you tried not to further outwardly react. "Guilt clouds better judgement with the past and makes you think irrationally with could-haves, should-haves, and could-have-beens. It warps your narrative over what objectively happened. In fact, your C-rank mission is a good example of this,"

        The last bit made you inwardly flinch, and your face told him everything.

        "It's not your fault your teammates are dead," He softly yet sternly told you. Almost instinctively, you argued.

        "But I could have checked if our food had been compromised! It's one of the most important safety procedures of shinobi and yet--" You immediately halted, realizing that you're just further proving Shikaku's point.

        "It's not your fault that you didn't know your sensei was a traitor, just like it's not Shisui's fault that they were ambushed," He declared, and you felt so reassured with how confident he sounded. "In the end, it wasn't you who contaminated your team's food supply, and it wasn't Shisui who held the blade,"

        You remained silent.

        "The guilt you feel over your teammates is already overwhelming you," Overwhelming is an understatement. Shikaku can see how it haunts you if the bags under your eyes told him anything. "Unlike them, Toshiro is one of your closest friends. If this is how you feel about Toshiro's death, how do you think Shisui feels?"

        The sharingan is the eye that reflects the heart, and the Mangekyou is the very manifestation of an Uchiha's loss and guilt.

        How would Shisui feel?

        Worse than you because he was there to witness it, like you with your teammates. Your guilt doubled.

        (His new dojutsu will serve as a reminder. The memory is forever engraved in his mind.)

        "Before you confront him again, clear your head. Let yourself grieve," Shikaku instructed firmly, as your vision blurred with welling tears. Your eyes are stinging, your throat is lodging up, and now your nose is starting to sniffle. "In our moments of loss, it's a lot easier to handle anger than grief. It's not Shisui's fault, and it's not your fault either. None of your tragedies are your fault,"

        Nara Shikaku knows this lesson best.

        (Jounin Commander is a heavy, heavy title. How many of his plans failed? How big were the repercussions? How many died under his command? How many widows and orphans blamed him?)

        "It's not your fault." He repeated with finality, and the emotions you felt were too much; the sorrow, the regret, the grief-- you were feeling too much that your emotions escaped in the form of your tears.

        You let a tear fall and more followed and now it won't stop--

        After so long, you bowed your head and finally mourned.

        "In the world we live in today, children often forget they're just that-- children. I'm not telling you this to patronize you, I'm telling you this to remind you. You're kids fighting wars for old men who couldn't find it within themselves to get over their pride," Shikaku sighed, before slowly nearing you and engulfing you in a much-needed embrace.

        Toshiro died young, and it wasn't just his death that had Shikaku grieving. He grieved for your and Shisui's innocence too. Your age hasn't even reached double-digits, and yet you hold responsibilities as if you're past your thirties.

        (Children your age should be placing blame on who broke their favorite toy; not placing blame on who's responsible for a good friend's death.)

        "For what it's worth, on behalf of my generation, I'm sorry we failed you." He murmured, as you hiccuped over your sobs.

        (Nara Toshiro's funeral is tomorrow. His body was immortalized in ashes at eight years old. His name was not qualified to be written in the Memorial Stone.)

~*~*~

        You took Shikaku's advice and waited for a week before confronting Shisui again. Admittedly, you wanted to talk to him back at Toshiro's funeral, but unfortunately he didn't attend. So, you just posted a sticky note by his house's front door, hoping that he'd find it and agree to meet up by the Naka cliff at the specified time.

        Now that your mind wasn't so muddled by loss, reminiscing about your last encounter with Shisui made you frustrated with yourself. You were easily blinded by your temper, that you willfully disregarded what he felt at the time.

        When he needed support and reassurance the most, you weren't there to give it to him.

        In the end, you've been a terrible friend too.

        Dangling your feet by the edge of the cliff, you heard approaching footsteps. You only turned your head to look at the newcomer when he decided to sit beside you.

        "Hey," You greeted quietly, looking back at the waterfall ahead.

        "Hey..." He murmured back.

        Taking a deep breath, you started.

        "I'm sorry about... what I said," You fiddled with your fingers, giving in to your habit to loosely practice with all twelve hand signs. "A-about you being a terrible friend,"

        "No, you're right about that. I'm..." He swallowed, before resigning. "I'm not a good person,"

        "You're not a good person," You affirmed. "But you're not a bad one either. None of us are either. We're only human, and I'm sorry for not acknowledging that sooner,"

        He huffed in levity, because only you would enter a philosophical thought like that in your emotional vulnerability.

        Shisui is not naive in this line of work. Shinobi often teeter on the edge of gray morality-- one step away from righteousness or one step away from cruelty. Your words held a semblance of truth. No shinobi are good and no shinobi are bad. If one wants to put a label, they would need to take a side and see from a biased perspective first.

        (Oftentimes, a shinobi's bias is not their own but the village's.)

        "Maybe I'm not a bad person," He said, a deflective small smile plastered on his face. "But I know I'm a bad friend. That's why we shouldn't be friends anymore." Just as when he's about to get up and leave, you quickly grabbed his hand to wordlessly tell him to stay.

        "I made a mistake. I wasn't a good friend to you either," You immediately blurted out. "I turned my back on you when you needed me most. I want to make up for that. We both lost a good friend; I don't want to lose another,"

        "Your mistake didn't end up with one of us dead," Shisui bitterly joked, his smile straining.

        He always uses humor to reduce the heaviness of a situation. An automatic defense mechanism that will last to his death.

         (He will smile even at his last moments.)

        "It's not your fault," You kept Shikaku's words in mind. "In the end, you didn't want Toshiro dead. To me, that's enough,"

        "But he's still dead," He persisted, as you continued to be patient with his stubbornness. You understand.

        (Guilt is a dark sea and Shisui refuses to swim up. Instead, he wallows in endless yet useless possibilities, finds comfort in the darkness of self-pity, and he's already drowning. It's his choice whether to swim up or sink, but as his friend, you'll wait at the surface with a hand ready to reach out.)

        "Fine. You can think you weren't a good friend to Toshiro," You relented, before squeezing his hand to have him look at your determined eyes. "But you'll make up for your mistake, because from now on, you'll be the best friend to me."

         And I'll be yours, goes unsaid but was implied.

         The way you were unwavering with your decision to give him a second chance had his eyes misty. You still want him in your life, and as selfish as it sounds, he still wants you in his. He is so relieved because he doesn't want to grieve over two friendships.

         (Even though he's not good for you, he still wants to stay like a parasite. You might end up dead because of him; you might follow after Toshiro's footsteps if he made the same mistakes. He doesn't know if he can be better. If Shisui were a good friend, he would have declined your friendship to keep you safe.)

         "O-okay..." He relented, his hand squeezing back yours.

         (But he doesn't, because he's not a good friend.)

         "You're stuck with me for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not." You humored, giving him a reassuring smile.

         (Instead, he'll be better; the best. For you, he will try to be better.)

         She'll be different, Shisui vows to himself.

         (Looking back to this day, Shisui will realize when he made Konoha only second in his list of priorities.)

~*~*~

BONUS OMAKE:

Your age: 19

Anko's age: 21

         Once a year, you give in to one of the three shinobi vices: alcoholism.

         You remember having your first drink at age eleven as a celebration, when you, Shisui, and Anko were promoted to chuunin together. Old enough to kill; old enough to drink, as most shinobi say. Admittedly, that saying does have merit.

         People drink to forget, and you can list young genins who need a bottle or two.

         However, you're long past genin, and you're no longer chuunin either. You're a jounin now; you've been one for a long time, and your reasons to indulge yourself in alcohol only seem to grow longer with each assigned mission. And sometimes, it's not even the assassination missions with Inu (not-Kakashi) that haunt you.

         It's been four years since his death and the Uchiha Massacre.

         Today is the anniversary of the former.

         You remember the day you disclosed Shisui's death to Naruto; the night how the child wailed into his pillow from the next room; the sobs that followed night after night, which was eventually reduced to just every night of the anniversary of Shisui's death.

         Tonight is one of those nights.

         That's why you're now tipsy in a shinobi-only bar with Mitarashi Anko as your 'drinking buddy'.

         It's times like these you're grateful that you distributed privacy seals to all shinobi bars; most rumor mills start from taverns for a reason. With enough alcohol, shinobi can have just as much loose tongue as a civilian.

         Judging by how Anko kept eyeing you, you think that the privacy seals on your booth would serve you now.

         Taking a quick shot of liquid courage, Anko finally started a conversation with you.

         "Look, it's been four years," She begun, before refilling her glass. "You need to stop trying to find evidence that Itachi didn't do it. People are starting to talk,"

         Eyes barely leaving your seventh shot, you merely shrugged.

         "Then let them. Itachi didn't do it; you know this, you know him," You emphasized, eyes narrowing at the small glassware. Anko saw Itachi in missions, she knows what he's like. "You saw how devoted he is to his duties and the village,"

         "And maybe that's why he did it," She said, with you already knowing what she implied. You were not fond of the gossip that Itachi went mad.

         "He wouldn't suddenly go insane," You refuted firmly, refilling your sake.

         "Like how Shisui wouldn't suddenly commit suicide?" You flinched at the sudden change of topic, your hand tightening on your glass.

         (Anko had always been a callous person. That's why she barely had any friends other than you. Only you have enough patience to deal with her. But tonight, you're slowly running out.)

         You didn't open your mouth; not yet. You need to gather your thoughts before talking. Nobody knows you were the last person Shisui was with before he died. If you reveal this, it can easily be interpreted in the worst way possible.

         "Let's cut the shit. C'mon, I'm a T&I interrogator," Anko scoffed, almost sounding offended. "You think our rumors are as fucking shallow as civilians'?"

         "I don't want to talk about it," You dismissed, but she didn't relent.

         "You need to face and get over this," The kunoichi persisted rather stubbornly, her tone hinting that she wouldn't drop it. "I need my fun drinking buddy back. After the massacre, you've been moping around and overworking your ass until you drop,"

         "So-rry about grieving over my dead clan," You sarcastically apologized-- high-pitched and grating, before resuming back to your monotone voice. "All shinobi cope differently. Besides, mine is tamed compared to the others',"

         You and Anko both know who you were subtly pertaining to.

         "T&I never stopped digging even when the Uchiha Massacre case was closed, y'know? We picked up all rumors regarding the Uchiha-- old, new, ranging from most probable to downright ridiculous," She informed you. "The newest hypothesis is that the Uchiha were possible traitors and Itachi executed all of them,"

         At this, you took another shot.

         "How the hell did you all conclude that the Uchiha were possible traitors?" You asked disbelievingly.

         "The Kyuubi attack," She answered easily, and you huffed in dry humor.

         "You believe that bullshit?"

         "Too many matching rumors to disregard," Anko justified, then expounded, "There were reports about seeing the sharingan pattern in the Kyuubi's eyes,"

         "That doesn't say shit," You denied.

         "It says every shit. We know our history; we know about Konoha's first traitor," Yeah, everyone knows about Uchiha fucking Madara. But one man's actions cannot represent the rest of the clan; it was unfair. "We concluded that Itachi killed Shisui first since he's the most difficult obstacle to the clan's total execution,"

         At the last theory, your glass was one pressure away from cracking.

         "How fucking dare you?" You seethed. "Itachi wouldn't kill Shisui. He'd rather kill himself first,"

         "We considered the possibility that Shisui may be a traitor too," She continued, and your glass finally fractured.

         "Shut the fuck up," You defended vehemently. "He was your chuunin teammate. You better tell your T&I co-workers to drop that hypothesis," To think that Shisui used to work with some of them, and none of the bastards defended his name.

         You were disappointed with Anko because of this.

         "You should look at this objectively and look at all possibilities," She sternly advised, before air-quoting her next words. "Your 'best friend' may not be as innocent as you think,"

         (One day, you will look back at this and realize that Anko was trying to make you feel better about Shisui's death if you were to treat him like a potential enemy. Anko's emotional experience is limited to herself, and you can see she's trying to have you emulate her feelings for her ex-mentor to your best friend.)

         "I'm grieving, and now you're pulling the biggest asshole move by trying to taint my memories of him," Your anger simmered, and you spilled some of it through a low jab. "Stop projecting your insecurities on me. It was you who was betrayed,"

         Anko looked hurt for a moment, but she schooled her expression and persevered.

         "You need to think logically, because maybe he was an Orochimaru who was never discovered," She reasoned.

         Of all people she would compare Shisui with--

         "Oh, logical," You bitterly laughed. "Like how multiple children were murdered and experimented on under your nose because, what? You see the snake as a father figure?"

         "You don't have to be a bitch about this," Anko glowered. "You've been evicted from the clan a long time ago. You're no longer updated with their clan affairs,"

         "What about you?" You turned it back to her. "Weren't you still Orochimaru's student while he was doing his experiments?"

         "That's different!" She defended, and the glass in your hand finally shattered.

         "Shisui is the most loyal shinobi I know!" You exclaimed, finally venting your anger at the most convenient person available. "Aha, but you wouldn't know about loyalty by being a missing-nin's student, wouldn't you?"

         "Most loyal you say?" She gave in to your jabs, her grin now turning feral. "Is that why Nara Toshiro is dead?!"

         You scowled, Killer Intent leaking.

         "He changed!"

         "Clearly!"

         Having had enough, you both pulled out kunais from your pouches, and just when either of you were about to pounce at the other, two jounins intervened to restrain both of you.

         You recognized that it was Genma holding down your armed hand, while Raidou took care of Anko.

         Needless to say, you never visited that bar again.

         (You never made up with Anko either.)

~*~*~

Your age: 20

         Sitting alone on an empty training ground beneath the stars, you decided to just bring your drinking habits here after the almost bar fight. You can't exactly drink at home since Naruto and Sasuke live with you now, and it wouldn't be good if Kakashi were to figure out that drinking became something you do more than occasionally.

         But...

         After tonight, you'll quit alcohol. So, you will indulge.

         Under a Hashirama tree, you stared at the seated illusions of Kushina-shishou, Rin-nee, Aniki, Toshiro, and Shisui-- each of them having a sake glass that they will never be able to touch, much less drink from. You still served them sake anyway.

         (Their ages from the last time you saw them remained stagnant because they never got to grow up with you.)

         "You should stop drinking," Rin-nee spoke first, followed by Aniki's eager nod.

         "Yeah! You'll get a lung infection or something!"

         "Obito, that's smoking. Drinking affects the liver," The brunette corrected, exasperated but fond of her boyfriend's misinformation.

         "... Oh. But still!"

         You wonder who is more unstable between you and Kakashi. The one who involuntarily hallucinates the dead, or the one who voluntarily casts the illusion of the dead? No shinobi is truly sane, you justified to yourself. They're just good at pretending.

         "This is not healthy, 'ttebane." Kushina-shishou frowned at you like you expected her to if she were actually here.

         "Of course I know," You steadily replied back. "You are me as much as I am you,"

         "I'm sorry..." Shisui spoke up next, and like you expected and programmed him to do, the first thing he said was an apology.

         And finally...

         "Y'know," Toshiro's young voice called out to you. "Time is a commodity, and it should be spent on the living."

         "I know," You said. "For a moment, just let me pretend and remember what it was like."

         With one hand sign, you altered the illusions and had them talk with one another about mundane things; not once did they spare a glance at you.

         You were content with just watching.

         (Like you promised to yourself, you stopped drinking.)

~*~*~

BONUS:

(yes art is mine lmaoooo)

Me: I gave them important and detailed screen time and interactions with Team 7 in omakes for a reason! Why do you think I gave dead people more characterization and value to MC and Team 7 than necessary?! You think I, a firm Shisui simp, wouldn't give a happy ending to my favorite boi?! THINK, READERS, THINK!

...

Shisui in this chapter: Hola!

(Y/n)'s mental stability: Adios.

...

All (Y/n)'s deceased loved ones: You'll die early if you keep downing alcohol like that.

(Y/n)(raising a shot): Cheers to that.

...

Me (revealing the plot twist and that they're alive): IT'S ME, AUSTIN--

Yall readers: Aw son of a bitch--

Me (pertaining to them not staying dead): IT'S ME, AUSTIN! IT WAS ME, ALL ALONG, AUSTIN! YOU ALL BOUGHT IT! YOU ALL BOUGHT IT! HOOK! LINE! AND SINKER! YOU ALL BOUGHT IT! EVEN MY FAMILY! EVEN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY BOUGHT IT! EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WERE MADE FOOLS OF--

(if you guys got the reference, yall are meme-cultured af holy hell)

...

What the hell happened to my original 3000+ word count standard? Why is 10k+ starting to become a norm???

To those who are curious who Hawks was talking about, she's a manga spoiler. Her name is Lady Nagant and she was once a hero before being convicted to Tartarus.

And so, the plot thickens, my cards lay on the table, and the game begins. I've been hyping you guys for the wrong reasons and now I've revealed what's underneath the underneath!! Only the people who are constantly present in my discord server knew the truth the entire time-- if I remember correctly, there were three of them. If you guys saw it coming well, you may not be surprised now, but the story has yet to finish, so I still have some tricks left from my sleeves.

Thus, this concludes the Vigilante Arc! The next arc is T.R.E.E.S.! But before that, we have the Vigilante arc's interlude!

Trauma, o loyal lover of yours truly, you've once again stolen the spotlight!!

Also, i didnt mention teenage team 7's special moves in any of the training chapters, mainly because they will be revealed on the actual event itself. They'll have flashbacks on how they discovered/invented their moves so i can flex my physics research asdfghjkl

Don't worry, I wont keep inserting random naruto characters-- only the ones who would make an impact on the plot/character development. The numbers are fixed so I wont be adding more. I know I mentioned that Obito and Madara were trapped in the Shinigami's stomach, however, someone *cough* MC *cough* set them free even at the risk of possibly resurrecting Black Zetsu to resurrect Madara which could have made all sacrifices null. But once again, she's been emotionally compromised for a long time.

In this story, we only have Obito & Rin (ugh Rin rlly waited for Obito so that they can be reincarnated together my heaRT. also yes, in this AU they're together fuck off), Shisui, Itachi, Hashirama, Tobirama and Madara.

So yes, the love interests are: Kakashi, Aizawa, Hawks, Shisui, Itachi, and Tobirama. Those last three are the secret love interests. I'm still debating if I should add Hashirama since he's Tobirama's wingman lol, but if I do add him, I'd have to make a character arc for him too.

Madara will NEVER be a love interest. Because he was reincarnated at the same time as Obito, he's also a kid. Also bruh this man essentially ruined MC's life why would she love him skskks--

Also, some clarification of the timeline at the beginning because it was a long time ago lmao (note in case yall haven't caught up yet: BNHA time moves faster than Narutoverse time. It's been weeks in BNHA but it's only been a day in the Narutoverse)

Day 1:

Morning- Kamui Woods' attack/Obito's (re)awakening of Kamui

Afternoon- MC and Kakashi waking up/Transfer of their spirits to Ashido and Kaminari's bodies

Night- First Villain Encounter

Day 2-3:

Time-skip/Training with new bodies/Absence from UA

Day 4:

Noon- USJ Attack/Obito's discharge from the hospital/Team 7's arrival