Chapter 56 - Todoroki? (1/2)

”Ow... ow... OW!? Stop hitting me!”

Naruto's shouts were heard in the small hours of the morning as he sat in front of Recovery Girl, the woman had refused to heal him after his stunt this time. Instead, all she did was remove the bullets from his body and stitch him up. She was letting him deal with his arm in the damaged state it was in for the rest of the internship, as his punishment for acting so foolishly on his own. Now, she was hitting him on top of the head with her cane, his arm in a sling and bullet wounds all over his body that were now stitched up.

”Foolish child, do you have no value for your own life?” Recovery Girl kept beating him over the head.

If he wasn't him, these bullets would have been far more fatal than they were. He had lost an impressive amount of blood, and had gotten himself on the bad side of a group of villains... but at least that last one was par for the hero course. Becoming a hero meant being on the bad side of the villains anyway, so at the very least, she could forgive that one.

”Well, it's a good thing I'm all right now, thanks for healing me.” Naruto said, even though she didn't use her Quirk, she had applied modern medicine to his wounds anyway, which would help him still. Not as well as her Quirk would, but he would be back on his feet in no time, heck, he could still fight as he was. He didn't need both of his arms to fight villains. ”Anyway, Eri needed me, so I had to be there for her.” Naruto placed his hand on Eri's head.

She had fallen asleep in his ŀȧp, having refused to leave his side.

No doubt, she feared she would wake up and be back with Chisaki.

”That girl has no medical records, and no real birth certificate... thankfully, I'm able make those for her. You're just a child yourself, do you think you're-”

”She is my responsibility, and I'm old enough to become a legal guardian now... I have a decent bank account, can pass background checks, have viable personal references, and I'm the Hero who rescued her.” Naruto spoke gently, careful not to wake Eri up. Since when he saved Eri, he had been a temporary Hero thanks to Ryuko giving him legal permission to act the part of the hero, he could file to take this orphaned child into his custody seeing as he had saved her. ”Also... if she is with me, then she will be at U.A., and with all the pros here. She'll be safe, and she won't have to suffer those pains anymore.” Naruto could see the horn on Eri's head, and it seemed a little smaller than when he first met her in person.

The girl had taken to him, and had become comfortable in his kindness being genuine, which helped build a bond of trust with her.

”Her childhood will be a lonely one, without children her own age.” Recovery Girl pointed out, and Naruto grinned.

”Once she is older, she'll meet people who will accept her. I didn't have anyone my own age either, but I don't hate my childhood. I just want her to have a better childhood than she would have had... I'll even drop out of U.A. if I have to.” Naruto mentioned with a deep sigh. If he had to give up becoming a legal hero to keep her safe, he would do what he had to do. He had to take responsibility for saving her, meaning he had to do whatever it took to do that. If he had to give up his dreams as the consequence, then so be it.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that though.

The door opened.

”NARU-”

”Ssssshhhhhh.” Naruto raised a finger to his lips. He was surprised to see Sir Nighteye of all people coming into the office with a surprised face, upon seeing Naruto sitting with Eri, alive and well apparently. ”Seriously Sir Asshole, there is a sleeping kid.” Naruto grinned and winked at him.

Sir Nighteye was visibly surprised.

”You're not dead... but when I saw your future a year ago, I saw you dying to... you actually rescued her, and didn't die trying.” Sir Nighteye was surprised when he looked and saw that Eri was sleeping safely on Naruto's ŀȧp. Naruto just picked Eri up gently and cradled her against his shoulder, before he walked towards Sir Nighteye and placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it.