A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourties and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

"So what do you want to talk me about, Principal?"

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck as her blue eyes fixated on the woman standing right beside the Principal. Old was the first thing that came to her mind as she inspected the woman before her. Serious was another thing. Anyone who did not give a smile had to be either a serious, scary or both. Judging from the way her principal kept darting his eyes between them, she guessed she was both.

It was never good news when a scary, serious person came to see you or…maybe that was her own experience.

"Uzumaki-san," the principal cleared his throat and the whiskered-girl straightened her back. "This lady is a very important person who wants to talk to you about your future."

Naruto blinked. Her future? Why would some lady care about her future? As far as she was concerned, she was a nobody in this city. Well I am not really a nobody, am I? People have been congratulating me for my actions. The thought almost made her puff her chest and grinned. But she held herself back. Many people might be happy for what she did that day but this lady could be like those people in the police station.

The thought of another scolding made her hunch her shoulders.

"Am I in trouble?" asked Naruto. "Because if I am, I have already gotten a huge scolding from—"

"I'm not here to scold you for your heroic actions during the weekend," the woman reassured her. Naruto gawked as the woman's turquoise eyes gleamed with a hunger that almost made her want to squirm. She didn't squirm of course because that would be just plain rude. Instead she just scrunched her eyebrows and fixated her eyes on the woman.

"If you aren't here to scold me, then why are you here?" she asked. The gleam in the woman's eyes brightened and Naruto glanced at the Principal. For the first time since she entered this room, the man's eyes gleamed with excitement and hope. Wait. What were those two planning for her? If she was not going to get scolded then why did they bring her here?

She had finally understood what the hell her teacher was teaching her for the last few weeks and now they dragged her here not to scold her?

This place was just plain weird.

"Uzumaki-san, do you want to be trained to be a hero?" The woman questioned her. "Do you want to have the certainty that by the time you graduate middle school, your future of being a hero is guaranteed?"

Blue eyes widened and Naruto tried to close her mouth as her mind tried to process what the woman had just told her. What did she mean by that? The whole thing sounded complicated. But did she mean she could be a hero as soon as she finished Middle School? That would be awesome. No stress. No worry. There would be no exam for her to worry about.

It was perfect.

But something nagged at her and she didn't know what it was.

"Why are you making such a nice offer to me?" Naruto asked. She kept her tone steady and her back straight as her eyes focused on the woman. Surprise lit the woman's eyes as if she didn't expect her to ask this question. Naruto couldn't blame her. Most people would just agree without a second thought. But she didn't know what to think of this.

When she had been in Konoha, no one would make an offer like this to her. An idiot should never be allowed to graduate early but these people wanted her. Just the knowledge that they wanted to make her dream come true made her heart soar. But there was always that sensation inside of her head. What if this was all trick? She shouldn't just say yes immediately.

That was what got her into trouble with Mizuki-sensei.

"It is not every day you can find a child your age that can accomplish what you just accomplished," the woman explained. "Most children wouldn't be able to fight off a Villain as quickly as you did."

Naruto bobbed her head and smiled. "I know…that is what makes me awesome."

The smile on the woman's face widened and the whiskered girl looked down at her hands. I might sound really confident but what if I'm over my head with this? She took in a deep breath. Why was it so hard for her to just accept this opportunity right in front of her? There might never be another chance like this. A chance where an adult believed in her capabilities.

"We can make you even more amazing, Uzumaki-san," the woman said. Naruto snapped her head back up as turquoise eyes watched her with the seriousness that almost reminded Naruto of one of the Hokage's advisors. "We have a special program that you can enroll in that can guarantee that you can become a Hero by the time you are eighteen."

I won't ever get a chance like this ever again. Her fingers tingled and her heart raced against her chest at this thought. Yes. That should be her immediate answer. But what about Mirio? And Tamaki? Would she have to leave those two behind? They were her first friends in Japan. Mirio and his Dad took her in when they did not need to take her in.

But this could be her only chance of becoming a Hero.

"If I take this special program…will I be separated from my friends?"

The words hung in the air and Naruto focused her attention on the floor. Her throat burned at the idea of not seeing Tamaki or even Mirio during this program. But at least I can be certain that I can join them as heroes…I will just be one step ahead of them. The thought made her relax her shoulders. If she thought of it in that way then things did not seem to be too bad for her.

She would be able to catch up to them.

"You won't be able to see them everyday but you can have your day offs," the woman said. "And they will always be a phonecall away for you."

That should make her smile but her heart still wavered at the idea.

"Will I have to pay for this special education program?"

"We will sponsor you."

Everything sounds too good to be true. Naruto sucked in a deep breath and steadied her trembling arms. Her future would be a guarantee if she took this program. She would never have a repeat of what she did in Konoha if she took this offer. But it also meant that she wouldn't be able to see Tamaki and Mirio everyday. They would be separated and just the thought made her heart scream in agony.

They were her friends, her precious friends but being a hero was her dream now. A decision like this shouldn't be made just because of her stupid desires. She could not have the best of both worlds. I have to choose one over the other. The knowledge numbed her and Naruto looked up at the ceiling.

She didn't know which one to choose.

"Can I think about the offer?"

The woman nodded.

"We will give you three days to think about it, Uzumaki-san."

"So why did the Principal call you out, Naruto?"

Naruto tore her eyes away from her lunch box and looked at Tamaki and Mirio. Both of her friends tilted their head to the side and had their eyes focused on her. Concern shone through their eyes alongside fear. I guess they are worried that I got into trouble. The thought should make her smile but it only made her grimace.

This really was not helping her in making her decision. If anything, it was making it harder for her to choose between the offer and them. If I was in Konoha, I would have said yes without a second thought. Naruto sighed. But if she was in Konoha, she had only one friend and that was Hinata-chan. There would be no one else that would make her hesitate about her plans for the future.

But those two made her hesitate and that made them special to her. I should tell them, shouldn't I? She scratched her neck. Those two would probably give her a better idea of what to do. They would probably tell her that she was making it into a bigger deal than it already was.

Of course to be sure, she should tell them.

"There was a lady who said that if I joined her program then there is a guarantee that I will become a hero," Naruto admitted. The words hung in the air and the whiskered girl darted her eyes at the two boys. Mirio gawked. His blue eyes shone with excitement and tiniest bit of jealously but there was also pride in his eyes. A smile played on her lips and she shifted her eyes to Tamaki.

His reaction made her pause.

Unlike Mirio, Naruto could see her friend hanging his shoulders at her words. His eyes that were usually filled with nervous energy, was now filled with so much concern and sadness. She poked her tongue against her chest and knitted her eyebrows together. Why was he so concern? Did he think it would be a bad idea for her to agree to this? Maybe it was a bad idea.

If she agreed to do it then it would be a long time before they hanged out together again.

But what if I do what Sasuke's brother did? If I do really well then I can graduate early from the program! She bobbed her head. That would be the best idea for her. If she actually passed whatever the program entitled then Naruto could see her friends more. Sure they would be in high school while she was out working…but it would be better than nothing.

"D-Did you say yes?" Tamaki stuttered. Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away as both sets of eyes focused on her. The fear in his voice made her heart flutter for a strange reason. Maybe it was because it sounded like he was scared for her. Yeah. That was why her heart fluttered. But it was a terrible reason because she should never delude herself when it came to Tamaki.

He wasn't scared for her.

"I said I will think about it," she admitted. Mirio frowned and darted his eyes at Tamaki. Naruto raised a single eyebrow and followed his gaze, only to blink at the sight before her. Her blue-haired friend had clenched his hands into a fist and his whole body trembled like he was upset about something. Wait, it would make sense if he was upset with her.

If she took the offer then it would mean they couldn't be heroes at the same time.

"Why didn't you say yes immediately?"

Naruto gazed at their smiling classmates. Tamaki asked a good question but the answer was just so simple in her mind. For the first time in her life, she had friends. Good friends. When she had doubts about whether or not she would look good in a dress, they reassured her. When she pretended to be confident, Tamaki had been the one to call her out for it. Mirio gave her clothes and played with her.

The word yes was just too hard for her to answer when she thought of them.

"If I took the offer…I won't be able to see you guys often."

Mirio frowned and exchanged glances with Tamaki before looking back at her. Naruto forced herself to smile. It sounded silly when she said it out loud. You aren't agreeing to the offer of a lifetime because you want to stick by their side. Just thinking about it made her want to pout. If either of them had this opportunity, she would tell them to go for it.

But she was pathetic for not doing what she would tell them what to do.

"S-So you are still thinking about it because of us?" Tamaki stuttered.

She nodded her head and pushed her sausage around before stealing a glance at the two boys. "I also have my doubts about it?"

"What kind of doubts?" Miro asked. Naruto shut her eyes as the rice flew smacked her right in the face. Wiping the rice off of her face, the blonde puffed her cheeks at her blond-haired friend and he offered her an apologetic smile. He makes it hard for me to stay angry with him when he smiles like that. She flashed him a grin and fleck her own rice at him.

If he could hit her face with rice then she could do the same to him.

"Naruto, what are you worried about?" Tamaki asked, drawing her attention away from Mirio.

A sigh escaped from her lips and Naruto rubbed the sides of her head. "I guess I'm worried that I might not become an amazing hero like Endeavour or All Might. What if I become a hero and people dislike me? I…I don't think I can handle it."

It was one thing for her to be hated in Konoha but it would be terrible for her to be hated here. With Konoha, she had gotten so used to people looking at her with cold eyes that…it did not bother her anymore. But this place was different for her. People liked her. The teachers were amazing to her and people did not look at her like she was a monster.

If the whole thing changed…

Well she did not know how she could handle it.

"You will be an amazing hero, Naruto," said Tamaki. Naruto blinked and swirled her head at the boy. There was a nervous smile playing on his lips but his eyes shone with a lot of confidence. Well I guess he always was confident about me. She smiled and looked up at the clear blue sky before stealing a glance at her two friends,

Just because she failed at being a kunoichi, didn't mean she could fail at becoming a hero right?

"A lot of people cheered for you after you got back that necklace," Mirio pointed out. "There are probably going to be a lot of people cheering you on when you debut as a hero…don't you think?"

Well when Mirio put it in that way…

"Do you really believe that these people will love me?"

Because that would always be her biggest fear.

"So Mirio told me that you got an offer."

Focusing her eyes on her homework, Naruto bobbed her head. It was probably cowardly of her but she couldn't look Kazue in the eyes. If she just looked at him then she knew she would be greeted with concerned eyes. It was already bad enough that both Tamaki and Mirio were encouraging her to go after the offer but if Kazue told her to do it…

Well she didn't know what to do.

"That is right," Naruto admitted. She steadied her pencil and allowed her eyes to trace the kanji of the question before her. Maybe if she kept her eyes focused on the words then the black-haired man would get the idea that she was not ready to talk about it just yet. Because what could she say? That she was uncertain about whether to make her new dream come true or not?

Why was she so doubtful about herself?

Was it because she finally felt the warmth of a family? Kazue might not have adopted her but Naruto always thought that the things she did with Kazue and Mirio were things that people did with their family. If she just agreed to take the job then she no longer had a home with them. The thought of losing this little piece of heaven made her heart die a little.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kazue asked, taking a seat right beside her. "Mirio told me that you haven't decided about whether to take the offer or not. He told me about some of your doubts but do you have something else weighing you down?"

Naruto allowed her fingers to draw around the edges of her homework as her eyes focused on Kazue. There was another thing on her mind. It had been on her mind since the moment that woman gave her the offer. But would he understand? She honestly doubt it. But Naruto trusted the man sitting beside her.

If there was anyone that she might be willing to talk to then it would be him.

"There was a job that I really wanted in my village and I failed at getting that job," Naruto whispered. She pushed back the tears that threatened to overflow. This was not the time for her to cry. "Not many people expected me to get that job and they were right. I did one good deed and these people think that I can be an amazing hero…why?"

Kazue didn't answer her immediately. He just sat there for a good couple of seconds before wrapping his arm around her, drawing her into a hug. It should make her smile but she could feel the tears coming out of her eyes from such a nice gesture. She should stop crying. She wasn't a baby anymore. She was a strong girl so why the hell was she crying about this?

She was better than this.

"I guess those people didn't really see how wonderful you are," Kazue answered. "And they didn't see the vast potential that you have. Those people wouldn't have made you that offer if they didn't believe that you can be an amazing hero."

Naruto sniffed and pushed herself off of the man. She blew her nose against her arm, not caring if it would disgust Kazue. That had to be the nicest thing an adult had ever said to her. It was a lot nicer than the Hokage, who only reassured her that she would become a kunoichi. He is actually comforting me, not saying empty words. She hiccupped and rubbed her eyes.

Right.

It was time for her to stop crying.

"If I take this offer then there will be a lot of pressure for me to do well, isn't there?" Naruto asked softly.

Kazue nodded. "It will be very stressful if you take it, but do you think it will be worth the stress?"

Worth the stress? Naruto laid her hand down on the table and looked up at the ceiling. That was the first time someone asked her that question. All Mirio and Tamaki talked to her about were her doubts. Sure they tried to cheer her on but neither of them brought up the fact that it might be stressful for her. But then again why would they? The three of them thought about the joy of the job.

Not once had they thought about how stressful it might become for them.

"What do you mean exactly?" She finally asked.

Kazue sighed. "Do you think that you will be able to handle the responsibilities if you take the offer? Or do you think that you will regret it if you don't take the offer?"

Regret? Yeah she would regret it. There were a lot of things that she regretted not doing when she had the chance. She never got to prank Neji for being an asshole to Hinata. She never took her studies seriously and that was something she regretted. Never pushing the Hokage to tell her about her parents was another thing she regretted.

Because as much as she wanted to be around Tamaki and Mirio, she was never going to take find another chance like this.

"I'm going to take it," Naruto declared. "But I guess I'm going to miss Tamaki and Mirio. I mean once the lady comes again on Thursday then I am going to lose my two best-friends in this place."

The black-haired man chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"You won't lose them," he reassured her. "If anything, you are probably going to make them work even harder to achieve their goals and until they reach their own goals…they will be cheering you on just like I will."

That was more comforting than Naruto would ever admit to him.

(That was the last serious conversation Naruto had with Kazue. The next time that the two of them would talk would be when Mirio was in his final year of High School and the Hero Public Safety Commission gave her very first mission).

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter.