Chapter 76 - The Perfect Monster (1/2)

Class was different.

It was kind of awkward for everyone, knowing that two of their classmates had actually become pro heroes and gone on some super secret mission that they were refusing to talk about. Momo flinched, actually flinched, when she had been asked what had happened on the mission. Cool, calm, and collected Momo flinched, a show of fear and emotion so strong that it created a physical reaction in her body. She was the one that had, during the tournament, actually damaged to do the most damage to Naruto, and had gotten an up close and personal view of a bloody body that she herself caused. The trauma that she must have faced, and the fact she had was going to be taking off her final class at the end of every day to go and meet a pro hero to help her deal with this mental issue was frightening.

Naruto, who handled trauma his entire life, was handling this... about the same as what he usually did.

Bottle it up.

'He was the direct cause of his sister's death... and she had been placed in connection with the destruction of that city overseas... her Quirk and involvement was kept a secret to protect Naruto's future... but all his life he believed that his mother killed them... and... and now he's the killer he thought her to be.' Toshinori couldn't even imagine how bad Naruto must feel, just the knowledge that Naruto was in this cycle of pain was unbelievable. He felt bad that both children had such horrible stuff happen on that horrible mission, but he was also kind of glad.

They were bad in school with their friends now, more experienced because of what they went through, and a step closer to truly being ready.

Momo was a step closer to mental maturity.

Naruto was a step closer to humanity.

It was his own fault that Naruto was this way, when Naruto first spat out his Tama and started to awaken his Quirk... he had made sure that Naruto could become a hero and groomed him for that. He never took the time to help his nephew grow as a human being, he had only ever tried to make Naruto become a hero, in order for him to be able to live a life outside of hate and discrimination for a Quirk he couldn't help but he born with.

Naruto was already a hero.

He wasn't human though, not yet, but he was getting closer.

Toshinori smiled as he watched Naruto going through training with the other students once more, today was a semi-field training, the last of this type of training before the students all took their final tests of the semester. Naruto and Momo were both exempt from the tests, having just come back from something horrible like that wouldn't help them during the tests.

He and Naruto locked eyes as Naruto carried the ”injured” Izuku over to Recovery Girl, who was so kindly helping with the simulation.

”Good! Now, Midoriya-kun, why don't you go and get Asui-chan and you two practice together! I wish to speak with Naruto... Uzumaki-kun for a second!” Toshinori shouted out, forgetting that he needed to be as impartial to Naruto during class as he could, but remembering at the last second.

Both as a teacher, and as a family member, he needed to check and make sure that Naruto was okay.

”O-okay?!”

Naruto knew what this was instantly.

”I'm fine... you heard what she was like, I did the world...” Naruto couldn't even finish the sentence without pausing, and gripping his fist.

What Naruko did didn't matter.

She was his sister, a sister he never got to know, and their lives could have turned out so differently. If he had been taken away and raised as a villain, he could have been in her shoes. She and he were just the same, but they just chose different paths. She sacrificed her humanity, in order to sink into the bloodlust inside herself, and become a villain. She was a monster, through and through, with not a speck of goodness left in her heart.

He was the same.

He had sacrificed his humanity, in order not to become a bloodthirsty monster, and become a hero and protect everyone. Being a good person didn't mean that he was any less of a monster than she was. Where she had a weak will and gave into her bloodlust, his will was too strong, and he surpassed all things that stood in his way. She was the perpetual failure, never succeeding in overcoming personal challenge... he was a perpetual success, never failing to overcome himself and surpass his limits.

Because they were both monsters, he could see where she could have been different, he didn't mourn her loss. She was better off dead, but the fact that he himself killed her via his actions... no... he shattered her Tama... he killed her with his own two hands. One monster killed another monster, but he understood her, he could understand why she was the way she was. She was his sister, his flesh and blood, and if she was alive... so was Menma.

”... a favor? Naruto, villain, hero, or civilian... she was your sister, and you're allowed to mourn her. We don't chose our family.” Toshinori spoke so that nobody but Naruto would hear him.

...

”We do chose our family, you chose to take me in as your nephew, and I chose to accept you as my uncle. We're family. I chose to rescue Eri, and become her family... and she chose to see me like a father-figure... which is what I will become. We're family now.” Naruto didn't agree with Toshinori in the slightest. Their private talk did draw some attention, but the other students were far enough away that they wouldn't hear what was being said.

Toshinori felt his heart hurt for Naruto, but there was pride there too.