Fox of Many Masks

Chapter 9

-5/3 - Tuesday-

Groaning as he got up, Naruto began getting changed for the day before his phone chimed which got another groan from him since no one messaged him this early.

Mishima: Hey, I saw on the forum! Nice job sticking it to that stalker!

Mishima: My Phantom Aficionado Website - or Phan-Site for short - came in handy, didn't it?

Naruto: I guess? Look dude, it's early - too early - for all of this

Mishima: It's okay, you don't have to say it. I know deep down in my heart that it was useful

Mishima: I'll use my Phan-Site to help boost your popularity for sure! I'll keep my eye out for possible targets for you guys to go after and message you about them when I find them

Naruto: If that's what you wanna do, I can't stop you

Naruto wasn't sure what confused him more, how Mishima essentially ignored his response or that he messaged him so early like it was nothing. 'I just have to keep up with this 'we are not the Phantom Thieves' act' Naruto repeated in his head as he finished getting changed and headed down for breakfast only to stop in his tracks a bit.

'Wait...when did he get my phone number…' Naruto thought with a confused look as he never remembered giving it to him.

"You okay there?" Sojiro asked with a raised eyebrow, unsure what he was doing before Naruto quickly nodded.

"Sorry, I was caught up in my thoughts and got worried I forgot something" Naruto told him, getting a nod from the man as he started eating his breakfast.

"I doubt I'll need your help today so you're free to do what you want but I think I will need you tomorrow. As for the 5th you should be fine but we'll see" Sojiro explained as Naruto took a sip of his coffee.

"Sounds fine to me, not like I really have anything planned" Naruto said since it was the truth given most 'plans' were always brought up on a day by day basis, not that he minded.

As he continued eating his phone once again chimed and he once again ignored it until he was done eating. "As always, thanks for the food" Naruto thanked Sojiro as no matter how many times he had a meal of coffee and curry he never felt like he could say he hated it in the slightest.

Good food was good food and it was better than the instant ramens he occasionally had to have when one of the adults forgot to buy or make food.

As he headed back upstairs to make sure he had everything before he left he pulled open his phone to see who had messaged him only to see it was Ryuji.

Ryuji: Hey dude, with the whole Palace and the run to escape it as it collapsed behind us it made me realize I really suck

Ryuji: I'm hanging by the Arcade by Central Street but I wanna see if you wanna train a bit with me

Naruto: Sorry I was eating breakfast but sure, some training sounds like it could be fun

Ryuji: Sweet! Grab your PE uniform as my training spot is at school

Naruto: Is that going to be allowed?

Ryuji: Relax, clubs are there and even if we aren't in a club all we are doing is jogging around a bit. They won't mind as long as we don't get in anyone's way

Ryuji: Back when I was on the track team we'd see people doing it and no one minded

Ryuji: I'll meet you by the school gate

Naruto: Fine but if we get in trouble I'm throwing you under the bus

Ryuji: Dude!

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he grabbed his uniform, not being against exercising on his day off but not entirely minding it either since a little bit of exercise was relaxing at times.

Showing up at school on a day off like Golden Week just felt odd but in the end it was anything to really dwell on.

"Man, this place really brings back memories…" Ryuji said with a nostalgic smile on his face as he stretched a bit, them both being able to change in a nearby bathroom into their gym clothes with Morgana being left behind with their things. "This is my secret trainin' spot. Well, was...back when I was on the track team" he said, his smile turning a bit melancholic as he remembered the past.

"Actually, I've been thinkin' about tryin' to run again. Fightin' in that other world was a total shock and I couldn't move like I used it. It just felt...lame" Ryuji said with a sigh before he shook off his annoyance and smiled over at him. "So I started thinkin', maybe I need to build up my muscles again. Anything's gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe then I'll be able to help out a little more" he said as determination sparked in his eyes.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll be counting on you" Naruto said with a smirk which only got Ryuji's smile to grow a bit more.

"You just watch, I'll totally wreck your expectations! I-In a good way!" Ryuji said before quickly making clear what he meant by it, getting a chuckle and a nod from Naruto as they began their run around the school.

By the end of it Ryuji was panting and hunched over a bit from pushing himself to his limit.

"Dam, my legs are all tight…" Ryuji panted out before Naruto walked over and grabbed the water bottles they had gotten from a vending machine and quickly handed one to Ryuji.

"You know, before Kamoshida came along last year, the track team was the biggest thing this school had goin' for it. That all changed though after he got our coach was fired and took over as the sub" Ryuji explained, revealing a bit about the 'Pre-Kamoshida' Shujin. "That bastard, right from the start he was tryin' to get rid of us. He'd give us crazy workouts and when we couldn't do 'em he'd add even more on top of that...day after day was nothing but that bullshit" he continued on as Naruto could only imagine how rough that was given everything he had seen in the man's Palace.

"He was goin' after me especially. He knew I was the kinda guy who'd fight back…" Ryuji muttered as he clenched his fists while Naruto just listened and took all of it in. "If my time dropped even a little he'd cuss me out. Then, on top of that, he brought up my parents...about how my mom's the only one I got" he confessed while Naruto nodded since he had only heard Ryuji mention his mom back when they were in danger of being expelled.

"My dad, back when he was still around, only drank and sometimes beat me or my mom...I don't know how that bastard Kamoshida found out but he told the whole goddamn team" he said, gritting his teeth in anger from remembering it.

"As you can guess I lost it and hit him. It was like he wanted me to do it, he called it an 'act of violence' and shut the team down...thanks to that the other guys treated me like some kind of traitor and honestly, they ain't wrong. 'Cause of me they lost their shot at the championship" he explained, revealing how the team was dissolved and how the 'track-traitor' name that the Shadow Kamoshida had called him was created.

"You can't blame yourself too hard. Kamoshida is an expert of pressing all the buttons needed to make someone explode and use it to his advantage, he got away with a lot of stuff by painting everyone else as the aggressor and the instigator" Naruto reassured him, getting a bit of a nod from him as he drank his water only to nod again, this time a bit more solidly.

"You're right, and it doesn't matter now. It's in the past and that bastard is gone for good! I'm only thinkin' about the future now! That's what we're gonna do - build the future! We gotta think positive thoughts, brother!" Ryuji declared with a triumphant look on his face that, despite his seriousness about it, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a bit before high-fived Ryuji after he held up his hand to silently ask for it.

The pulse in his chest showed that his bond with Ryuji had grown stronger from it all.

"C'mon, we're all warmed up, right? How 'bout another run?" Ryuji asked as Naruto sighed a bit although Ryuji didn't seem to notice. "By the way, you're pretty good at runnin' so let's keep at it!" he insisted before tossing his water to the side and starting another lap with Naruto alongside him.

By the end of it Ryuji shakily decided to end it and went back home while Naruto decided to head back off to Central Street for some Big Bang Burger for his and Morgana's lunch.

Partway into it he paused mid sip into his drink as his phone rang, a quick look showing it was Ryuji.

"Hey man, you get home okay?" Ryuji asked, exhaustion still in his voice a bit.

"I didn't head home, Morgana and I are getting some Big Bang Burger for lunch" Naruto told him as Ryuji sighed a bit, most likely due to wishing he had some as well.

"Lucky cat...but seriously man, I'm so outta shape. I felt like I could barely drag my legs up the station steps...This would've never happened back then, I really should've kept up on my running" Ryuji groaned out as Naruto frowned and nodded.

"Well you're getting back on it now, that's all that matters. You can still get back into shape" Naruto assured him as they were still young after all.

"Yeah, you're totally right man! We're only getting started! Let's keep on runnin' towards tomorrow!" Ryuji said while Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the 'inspirational speaker' lines he had been saying so confidently today. "Even though I'm pretty rusty and it got kinda rough I still had fun. Plus there was some friendly competition with you there along with the talk we had so yeah! I'll catch you later, see ya!" he said before hanging up, leaving Naruto to shake his head with a smirk as he snuck another fry to Morgana before it started to get late.

Though, just as he was about to head home, his phone chimed again. This time it seemed to be Iwai.

Iwai: You haven't changed your mind about our deal, have you?

Iwai: I got a job for ya. It'll be a piece of cake

Iwai: How about it?

Naruto frowned as he thought it over, knowing he needed to help Iwai and he didn't really have anything else to spend the evening doing.

Naruto: Fine, I'll do it

Iwai: Good to hear, it's real easy. I'm meeting some dude at a restaurant and need ya to sit close and call me when I give you the signal

Iwai: See? Easy, right? I'll send ya the location so you'd better come

Naruto: Don't worry, I'll be there

As Naruto got the location, it being the same diner he went with Ann to, he headed on over and let Morgana wander around before heading inside to meet Iwai.

Naruto sat in the booth next to Iwai, Naruto having a cup of coffee so he could sit there without being bothered. It didn't seem to take long for the man to show up, Naruto feeling he looked shadier than Iwai for sure.

"A diner huh? I thought only old farts come to places like this. You've really changed Mune" the man said with a scoff, referring to Iwai by his first name which instantly told Naruto that Iwai knew him and they were relatively close.

"Hey, don't knock this place. It's pretty decent, and cheap too" Iwai said with a chuckle as Naruto took a sip of his coffee.

"Ha! This comin' from the guy who beat the crap outta fifty rival gang members!?" the man asked, Naruto not really too surprised at the 'gang' reveal as honestly it's what he expected given Iwai's demeanor and everything involving the detectives.

"You don't need to exaggerate" Iwai told him with a bit of a sigh as Naruto continued waiting for the signal with his phone on the ready.

"Anyways, what'd you wanna talk about?" the man asked, moving on from the stories of the 'old days' and asking about why he was here.

"Oh, right. How's Tsuda doin'?" Iwai asked, making Naruto wonder who Tsuda was but at the same time feeling he'd be better off not knowing given the whole 'gang' aspect.

"Same as always. Why, what's up?" the man asked, seemingly curious why Iwai brought up Tsuda like this.

"Oh, nothing. Just saw him 'round the other day" Iwai said casually, most likely hiding the real reason he was asking.

"Hold up, didn't you two cut ties when you left the family? Why're you askin' about him now?" the man asked, getting more and more curious about Iwai's interest in this Tsuda guy.

"I mean, we were both young. I just figured it's about time we bury the hatchet. I can't just go up n' talk to him though…" Iwai said, leaving it hanging to silently ask him.

"Ohhhh, I getcha. You're still tryin' to uphold the ol' code of honor, huh? Okay, I'll tell him you wanna meet up!" the man said as Iwai sighed, clearly annoyed at how gung-ho this guy was.

"No you fool. I just wanna end up in the same place at the same time. It's gotta look like a coincidence" Iwai told him, hopefully spelling it out clearer for the guy.

"In that case Shibaura might work….Y'know we're talkin' about redevelopin' it" the guy suggested as Iwai hummed in though as he seemingly mulled it over before he started to cough.

Instantly he knew this was the 'signal' Iwai had mentioned….although he would have preferred if Iwai told him what the signal was ahead of time.

"Huh? You sick or somethin'?" the guy asked as Naruto's phone started to call Iwai.

"Nah, it's just a cold" Iwai assured him before his phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello? Yeah, how's it goin'? What? Your order's all wrong? My bad. I'll get back and take of that straight away" he said, pretending to be on an actual phone call.

"Sorry, I gotta run. Work shit. Let's talk some other time, yeah?" Iwai asked the guy, not hanging up as the guy agreed, allowing Iwai to leave just as the guy pulled out his phone and made a call of his own.

"Don't hang up. Masa's still on the phone, right? Just stay quiet so I can hear what he's sayin'" Iwai told him as Naruto did what he asked and stayed quiet for him.

"Tsuda, it's Masa. Iwai was askin' about you. I did just like you told me though" Masa said, revealing he was on the phone with Tsuda and apparently things were planned out on their end as well.

"Iwai probably heard about that deal of yours and now he's tryin' to squeeze some cash outta you...O-Oh, sorry! No, it's...Yes. Sorry...Yes. I understand" Masa said, clearly getting scolded and yelled at before he hung up and left.

"A deal?...Sounds like there's some weird stuff goin' down" Iwai muttered, clearly mulling over what all he had just heard.

"So what do I do now?" Naruto asked since he felt there wasn't anything left to do for today.

"You're all good for today. I'll have to thank you in person later" Iwai said before he chuckled a bit. "At any rate I honestly wasn't expectin' too much outta you but it looks like you're gonna actually be some use to me. I'll be countin' on you kid" Iwai said with a smirk in his tone before Naruto felt a pulse inside him, showing his bond with Iwai had ranked up.

"Good work today. Order yourself somethin' nice as a reward. Oh, and bring me the receipt so I can pay you back for it. See ya" Iwai said, actually surprising him a bit before he decided he'd take the man up on his offer, although he didn't push it since the last he wanted was to annoy the man.

-5/4 - Wednesday-

Honestly, the day was just a pure blur that had been filled entirely with helping Sojiro around LeBlanc - not that he minded.

It was just full-on hands on deck all day, lunch being the only break in the middle of the day since days like this always tended to be busy for the small cafe according to Sojiro.

By the time he got changed for bed he passed out the second his face hit the pillow.

-5/5 - Thursday-

As he woke up he got ready quickly and headed downstairs, wondering he'd be needed like yesterday. The look of worry must have been clear on his face as Sojiro chuckled as he made his way down to eat.

"Don't worry kid, I don't think I'll need you this morning - the evening is another question. Just eat your breakfast and keep an eye on your phone throughout the day as I might message you if I need you" Sojiro told him, getting a nod from Naruto as his phone chimed almost on cue. "Better eat up, seems like someone needs you" he teased a bit while Naruto worked to finish his breakfast and head back up to grab his stuff.

As he got everything together Naruto pulled out his phone to see Tae had messaged him.

Tae: Hello my little guinea pig, I have the next clinical trial ready for you

Tae: I have a bit more I want to say but it can wait until you come over, if you can

Naruto: Guinea pig? That makes me worry

Naruto: But yeah, I'll be right over

Tae: Good boy, I'll see you when you get here

Naruto had to roll his eyes with a bit of a smirk at the 'guinea pig' and 'good boy' comments before he grabbed his bag and headed on over.

"Welcome, please head to the exam room" Tae said moments after he walked in, a bit of what he felt might be excitement in her voice before he walked inside the familiar room.

"So, I got your records from your doctor and imagine my surprise when I realized who it was" she said, the look in her eyes screaming 'why didn't you tell me' which he honestly surprised given how big a name Tsunade was in the medical field.

Which was also part of the reason he hadn't told her.

"I didn't tell you cause I didn't think it mattered much. I mean, I know how big a name she is but to me she's kind of just my mom in a sense despite being my godmother and everything…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head with a bit of a shrug.

"Seriously, if I knew you were her son I would have been more careful with you…" Tae grumbled before he quickly shook his head.

"Please don't, seriously. I really don't like any kind of preferential treatment just because of who she is so please, just continue as always" he told her, getting a look over from her before she smiled and nodded.

"Fine my little guinea pig, I'll treat you the same as ever" she told him, her smile turning more into a smirk as she got up and grabbed the next 'trial' which seemed to be an orange color. "The effects should be instant this time and don't worry, you aren't going to pass out this time" she assured him, showing that even as a test subject she didn't want to push him too far.

"Bottoms up" he said as he braced himself and drank it all in one go.

Seconds after Tae turned back towards him, leaning over in her chair a bit to look him in the eyes before smiling as his eyes widened once his mouth started to burn and his nose started to get incredibly itchy.

"See? Instant, just like I said. Thanks to your medical records and an exact weight I was able to ensure the inhibitory effects would trigger instantly and, from the looks of it, I was able to target the senses I wanted. Please describe what you are feeling" Tae told him before asking him so she could record it.

"My mouth feels like I just ate some super hot food and my nose is beyond itchy" Naruto groaned out, the combo being weird and intense as this wouldn't be anything anyone would experience in daily life at the same time.

"Perfect, those are the reactions I was striving for" Tae told him as she quickly wrote down some notes about the results. "Now hold on tight, once I compile all the data we can move on" she said before her phone rang, surprising her a bit before she answered it.

"Hello, Takemi Medical Clinic of Internal Medicine. How can I help you?" she asked before frowning. "An emergency, huh? But I'm not a designated hospital, besides, the head physician here is Tae Takemi" she explained before widening her eyes in shock only to glare as she put the phone back.

"Awfully rude to just hang up on a lady like that" she grumbled a bit as Naruto frowned.

"What was that all about?" he asked as he was struggling not to itch his nose.

"Oh, he basically just called the wrong number. An ambulance driver was looking for a transfer location and all the designated hospitals are full. But to think they'd accidentally call a general practitioner. Must've been a new paramedic...even though he seemed to at least know my name" she explained, sighing in exhaustion at the end which made him a bit worried for her.

"I've been blacklisted by the larger medical community….They call me 'the Plague' due to a grave medical error I made" Tae admitted as the seriousness of the situation completely made Naruto ignore the reactions he was having.

"What error? Cause I'll be honest I doubt any 'error' would justify being blacklisted so much" Naruto told her, noticing a soft smile on her face for a fraction of a second before it fell and she gained a bit of a somber look on her face.

"Thanks but listen before you make judgements...It goes back to my old job when I used to work at a university hospital in the city" she started to explain despite seemingly being thankful for his belief in her. "I was never actually convicted of anything but I'm still considered a pariah in the medical industry….which is why I'm even more surprised that someone like Tsunade Senju would allow her son to be treated by me" she said before she turned over to him and looked him in the eyes.

"Does it scare you? Participating in clinical trials run by a doctor like that?" she asked him, Naruto able to sense worry under her calm demeanor.

"I don't mind as to me it doesn't make sense for you to be blacklisted for one thing unless that one thing resulted in several deaths or something. The fact that Tsunade didn't object to this shows she feels it isn't deserving either" Naruto told her, looking her dead in the eyes as his sincerity surprised her a bit, getting her to shake her head a bit with a soft smile.

"You are seriously one strange kid, it's been a while since someone believed in me…but honestly it's fine. Being ostracized has enabled me to focus on my own research and development. Regardless, I look forward to working with you" she told him as she smiled a bit more with a bit of a laugh while Naruto smiled along with her as he felt a pulse inside him that told him their bond had grown stronger.

Their little moment, or whatever it was, was interrupted by her phone ringing again which she answered again only to realize it was another wrong number that asked about an order of delivery.

He also politely asked to buy some of her medicine, something she forgot she offered at first but let him buy what he needed. His thought process was that if they might be going into another Palace it might be good to be prepared.

"Thank you for your patronage and with that I think you're all good for today. The effects of the clinical trial should go away in a few minutes" Tae told him while he nodded and stood up.

"I hope so cause this is really weird" he told her which got another chuckle from her before he headed out and back towards LeBlanc, quickly noticing that more time had passed than he expected.

As he reached the front door his phone rang, him taking a step back before he answered it.

"Hey Naruto, I have to talk to you about something…you didn't tell anyone about my drugs, right? I know you told Tsunade about the clinical trial but what about other than that?" she asked as Naruto was a bit curious where this came from.

But then again, he figured that she might be worried given he told Tsunade about the trials and whatnot.

"Tsunade is the only one that I said anything about the trials to since she got worried about the whole 'jumping from a second story window' thing. I' haven't told anyone about your original medicine. I promise" he assured her as he wasn't about to betray her trust.

"I don't mind you telling her since she is your mom essentially as well as your main doctor but thank you for sticking to our deal where you can't say or share anything that happens in these trials" Tae said, a smile in her voice that was most likely from a bit of relief.

"I guess I'll believe you for now," she teased a bit "I mainly asked cause it feels like I've been getting a lot more patients asking for drugs lately. It makes me wonder where they keep hearing about me...it's really been bugging me" she muttered before he chuckled a bit.

"Maybe they just are starting to learn they have a competent and skilled doctor around" Naruto teased back with a smirk.

"I doubt it...but that's all I wanted to ask. I'll see you when I get the next trial set up for you. See you" she said before she hung up, allowing Naruto to head in to LeBlanc.

As he walked in it was a bit obvious things were a bit hectic and, with one look from Sojiro, it was clear he needed a bit of help.

"Give me a second to put my stuff down and I'll help" Naruto told him, getting a sigh of relief from the man.

"I was about to message you so you came at the nick of time" Sojiro said with a bit of a smirk while Naruto walked towards the stairs with a chuckle.

"Tends to be how things go for me" he said as he hurried up the stairs to drop Morgana off before hurrying back down.

Things were hectic a bit but thankfully it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday. Things eventually did calm down, allowing Sojiro to start on the curry for tomorrow.

"And with that it's all set for tomorrow" Sojiro announced as he stepped back from the stove to inspect his work a bit. "How's it going with you? Are you getting any better at remembering how to handle different bean types?" he asked while Naruto nodded a bit and made a 'sorta' gesture with his hand.

"I think I'm learning a bit more here and there from watching you" Naruto told him before watching as Sojiro walked over to the coffee makers while motioning for him to come over.

"There are three factors that determine the flavor for a cup of coffee: grind, heat, and time. With grind, for the siphons we have here, we're aiming for medium-fine" Sojiro said while Naruto nodded along.

"Medium-fine, got it" he repeated, getting a smirk from Sojiro.

"Glad you seem to be listening" Sojiro said with a nod. "Just remember, I'm not going to forgive you if you serve our customers crap coffee" he warned again, Naruto nodding with a little salute to show he understood before Sojiro's phone started to ring and he gained a confused look.

"Who could this be?" Sojiro muttered a bit, not recognizing the number as he took a step away a bit to answer it.

"Yes, hello?" he asked before his unsure look quickly turned into an annoyed glare. "How did you get this number?!" he quickly hissed asked once he heard the voice on the other side, Naruto partially wondering if it was the same guy from the other day.

"Now? Where?" Sojiro asked, clearly annoyed only to sigh as he agreed to go before hanging up.

"Sorry, something just came up. We can keep going with the lessons some other time" Sojiro told him as he turned back towards him.

"Is the 'something' some kind of trouble?" Naruto asked, a bit worried as if it was that guy he had met a few days ago on the other line it didn't spell any good news.

"What, you worried about me?" Sojiro asked with a smirk before he waved it off. "It's honestly nothing you need to concern yourself over. Just do the dishes while I'm gone and don't forget to shut off the gas before you close up shop" he told him as Naruto nodded.

"Got it, just have to do the usual. Sounds easy enough" Naruto assured him, getting Sojiro to smirk as he rubbed his beard a bit.

"Gotta say, it's nice having someone around to help at times like this. Turns out you're actually a harder worker than I thought. Keep it up" Sojiro said, admitting he enjoyed the help and praising him for his work which in turn set off a pulse signalling their bond had ranked up.

"Okay, I'm off. Don't eat all our food while I'm gone" Sojiro teased a bit, Naruto giving him a salute before he left, leaving Naruto to spend the next hour or so finishing things up before he headed up to bed.

Though, once he finally made his way up to his room his phone rang, the ID showing it was Sojiro who he figured was calling to check up on things.

"Hey, you get everything closed up?" Sojiro asked as he let out a yawn and nodded.

"Yeah, got it all done. Took a bit to do the dishes due to how busy we were" he told Sojiro, the man chuckling a bit as he definitely knew.

"Sorry about earlier, just had to take care of some business" Sojiro tried to apologize which Naruto appreciated despite it not being needed.

"Don't worry, I don't mind covering and helping when you need to head out suddenly" Naruto assured him since he really didn't mind.

"I'll keep that in mind and try not to abuse it," he joked a bit with a chuckle "try not to stay up too late though" Sojiro reminded him, Naruto agreeing before he hung up and quickly headed to bed.

-5/6 - Friday-

He let out a bit of a yawn as he arrived at Ann's stop to head to school with her again, figuring it was still the plan until she assured him otherwise.

"So, how was your Golden Week?" Ann asked with a bit of a giggle, unable to keep herself from asking despite the tired look on his face somewhat answering things for her.

"Busy, I had to help out at my cafe of a home. What about you?" he asked as they headed towards the train to school.

Naruto did his best to keep an eye out for any stalkers as they walked, feeling like there might be a head in the crowd that he had been seeing lately whenever around Ann but wasn't sure.

"Relaxed for the most part, hung out with Shiho and went to see the school she'd be starting at on the 16th…." Ann said, the look on her face showing it was still hard to accept that her friend would be going to another school.

"I'm sorry but you know that if she returned to Shujin things would be rough for her, especially with Kobayakawa" Naruto reminded her as he rubbed her back a bit, getting a nod from her despite the frown still on her face.

"I know...still sucks" she grumbled, leaning against him a bit while he just stuck to rubbing her back a bit since he could only imagine how it felt to be separated from a best friend even if it was just in school.

The walk to school was a bit quiet but as they got to the gate Ann let out a long groan before turning to him with a bit of a frown.

"Sorry about all the whining and complaining like that. Wasn't the best walk to school I bet" she apologized before he shook his head with a smile.

"Don't worry about it Ann, you're allowed to complain and I don't mind being the one you vent to" he told her, getting her to smile softly and nod.

"You really are super sweet, you know that?" Ann told him with a giggle before she grabbed his arm, hugging it as she pulled him into school with him while he did his best not to blush at the….sensation he was feeling.

School was as boring as ever until his phone buzzed in his pocket, showing Ryuji had once again started a group message.

Ryuji: Hey, don't you think the atmosphere at school's kinda different now?

Ann: You mean with there being no Kamoshida?

Ryuji: Yeah, nobody ever talked about him in the open like this before

Naruto: That'll happen when someone like him is outed and loses all power he 'had'

Ryuji: I wish someone would just thank us for it or something

Shiho: We don't do things for thanks though, we do it to help people

Ann: Kamoshida is being punished for his crimes so in the end, it all worked out for the best. That's all that matters

Shiho: Victory is more than enough for me

Naruto: I agree

Ryuji: Still, I wonder what's gonna happen to him now. I mean, he's a famous criminal at this point, right? He's gonna have to deal with people hating him forever…

Ann: That might be true but I don't have any sympathy for him and no one should either

Shiho: He got what he deserved, what he was owed

Ryuji: For sure

As school ended Naruto stretched and let out a loud groan from the soreness of being stuck in his desk only to raise an eyebrow a bit as his phone buzzed again.

Mishima: Hey, I have some new info for you!

Mishima: I saw it on the Phan-Site but I've heard about it at school too

Mishima: There's a guy at school whose bullying has gone too far. I want to help the victim but that's impossible for me…but I bet the Phantom Thieves could do something about it!

Mishima: I mean, you already changed the heart of that stalker so this should be a breeze

Mishima: The bully is a brown-haired guy frequently seen standing out front the school entrance. His name is Daisuke Takanashi from what I can tell

Mishima: I know you can handle this!

"Oh! You got some info on a new target!" Morgana said as he had been reading over his shoulder while partially in the bag. "I know this is a small case but we have a name so we should be able to consider him a target. Let's head to the hideout!" he explained as Naruto sighed a bit and messaged the others, explaining things a bit before he headed up to the roof with the others showing up a few moments later.

"If we're all here do you think we should go to Mementos?" Ryuji asked out of the gate, moments after Ann put Shiho on speaker phone.

"I mean we do have a target but what about a calling card?" Naruto asked as he looked over to the resident 'expert' on stuff like this.

"We don't need one for Mementos as Mishima fills that role. He put a comment on the forum saying that we are coming. For a small target that's enough and will have a much longer effect, allowing us to wait until we have time to do it. Even Nakanohara must've seen the comments about him, explaining why the Nav picked up on him" Morgana explained to them as they all liked the aspect of where they didn't exactly have to rush into it like they did with Kamoshida.

"Can we really leave something that important to someone else?" Ann asked, a bit unsure given how without the warning they couldn't do any changes of heart.

"The desires of the Mementos Shadows are nothing compared to those of the Palace rulers. Still, we need to unanimously agree on our target. No ignoring the rules, even for smaller ones" Morgana told them before he looked to Naruto to explain the situation.

"The intel Mishima gave me was about an arrogant bully here at Shujin. Apparently it's going a bit too far, evolving to abuse and blackmail. Personally he sounds like the perfect target but it's up to you guys as well" Naruto told them since they were never going to do anything without full agreement from everyone.

"I agree, he's the perfect target!" Ryuji agreed, showing he was ready and raring to go.

"We really can't leave a guy like that be, we should go. What do you think Shiho?" Ann asked as she looked down to her phone.

"I agree as well, if we let him continue who knows how many more people he will target. I'll meet you guys at the same place as last time" Shiho told them, getting a fist pump from Ryuji.

"Alright! Let's go!" Ryuji declared as they all set off towards Shibuya and then immediately into Mementos.

-Mementos-

"So you can do the same thing you do with safe rooms in Mementos, right?" Naruto asked Morgana, getting a nod from the 'not-cat' as he nodded.

"Yeah but only to certain places, I can't take you to any random floor" he explained as Naruto expected that more or less.

"How about that area with the weird wall we opened up, is that somewhere you can take us to?" he asked with another nod. "Then let's start us there" Naruto suggested before, with a look to the others, they headed down the escalator and appeared back at that train platform.

"That wall is still open, our target is further in so let's head on through and keep going" Morgana encouraged before they headed in and down the escalator, instantly noticing a change as the last floor was red in color and this floor had a blue tone to it all.

Personally it reminded Naruto of the Velvet Room which in turn made him remember that he still had that 'fusion' thing to check out.

"Hey, good job!" a familiar voice called, getting Naruto to look up just before he entered the van to see Jose in his buggy across the way. "That one closed-up door's finally opened. Are you the one who did that?" Jose asked as Naruto nodded.

"I knew it! Mementos filled me in on it" Jose revealed, confusing Naruto to what he meant by that. "Thank you, I should be able to find more flowers deeper down now. Come see me if you find some flowers. Good job!" he said before driving off with a smile.

"We bumped into whats his name again" Ryuji said, still a bit confused about the kid.

"His name's Jose. He's such an adorable kid isn't he?" Ann asked with a smile as she leaned forward to hug onto Shiho, getting a nod a bit of a chuckle from her.

"P-Panther!? I'm adorable too you know!" Morgana said, clearly fighting for attention with the 'kid' again.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway he said he'd be here on this floor if we find flowers for him, right? We should try and get some for him" Ann said as Naruto nodded, silently wincing at how she had dismissed Morgana.

But then again his jealousy wasn't good to indulge in too much.

"Right, we'll grab some on our way to the target and trade them in before we leave" Naruto said, which got a grumble from Morgana.

"Our target isn't on this floor so we'll have to continue on past little Jose" he grumbled out, getting an eye roll from everyone.

"Well visiting him won't hurt if it's still on the way to the next floor" Naruto told him before he started driving.

The ride through the subway was pretty easy, the Shadows not being all too difficult to handle. They had even fought enough to where his heart had grown stronger, Cait Sith evolving into Jack Frost and Genbu evolving into Koppa Tengu.

This allowed him a bit of time to rearrange things, removing Slime while noticing that Hua Po and Succubus had similar abilities.

"Don't worry master, we want you to stay strong so keep Hua Po, she is stronger than me by a bit. Though that doesn't mean I'll be gone" Succubus told him as while he felt a bit bad he decided to take her advice.

Besides her he also swapped out Kelpie for Koppa Tengu and Silky for Jack Frost as they both had similar elements but one was stronger than the other.

He was even able to grab a new Persona, apparently of the Star arcana, called Kodama. It was a weird little paper thing that he kept for now as he saw it could learn a Psi skill which got him curious what that was.

It didn't take long to find Jose, his little camp being easy to spot when they happened upon it and they had found some flowers along the way as - weirdly enough - running them over made them appear in the van.

"We'll stay in, you go see what Jose has to offer" Ann said as she handed Naruto the bit of flowers they had collected.

"Hey! Good job!" Jose said with a smile, the boy thinking that as a standard greeting and Naruto not having the heart to really say otherwise. "Huh, whatcha got there? That's really neat" the boy said, enthralled by something before Naruto felt something start to heat up a bit as he pulled out the Will Seed Crystal that he had gotten from Kamoshida's Palace.

"You mean this? Do you know what it is?" Naruto asked as he handed it over to the boy.

"Wow, this is amazing. I recognize it from my studies! I'm feeling strong human desires coming from this accessory but it still hasn't reached its full potential" Jose started to say, Naruto not too surprised someone like Jose knew about stuff like this. "May I see it? I won't do any damage to it, I promise" he asked before Naruto shrugged.

"Sure, I have no idea what the thing does so have at it" Naruto told him, watching as the kid tinkered with it a bit until it started to glow brighter and brighter.

He watched a bit in shock as the crystal morphed and changed into what looked like a ring.

"Here, your Crystal of Lust is now a Ring of Lust. Wear it and you'll Persona will have access to a healing skill" Jose explained as Naruto looked over the gold ring, seeing a heart design and outlines of females lying down with their hands out towards the heart.

"Let me know if you find any others like it, okay?" Jose asked as Naruto nodded and pocketed the ring.

"Sounds like a plan but I also have some flowers to trade so let's see what you have" Naruto said as he sat down on a crate while Jose smiled and hopped up to sit on the hood of his car.

He wasn't able to really buy much, only a Soul Drop which Jose said would help ease the exhaustion that came with using a Persona. It was interesting so he didn't mind going back to the van with just it to show.

"Oh wait! Before you go I want to help you guys out" Jose said, stopping him before he left as he pulled out one of those squeaky mallets that were often used for the rock-paper-scissors where the loser tries to put on a helmet before the other one bops them.

"Help? How exactly?" Naruto asked as he watched the kid look around on the floor before smiling.

"Mementos has these spots, like pressure points, that allow me to change the cognition of it a bit. What I have planned will take a while to fully activate but it'll gradually help you get more money from Shadows and grow stronger much faster fighting them" Jose explained before he bopped his hammer on the ground, creating a faint pulse of light.(*1)

He thought that was everything before Mementos started to rumble but - with one look towards the others - showed they didn't feel or see anything.

"There you go! It should grow stronger the further into Mementos you go. I'll let you know when it's fully complete" Jose said with a smile, Naruto still a bit surprised as he could only really nod.

"Thanks, I guess" Naruto told him, getting another 'Good job!' from Jose before he returned to the van.

"So what did you get? I saw you handed some necklace thing to him and got something else in return" Morgana asked as Naruto pulled out the ring.

"He turned the Will Seed Crystal into this ring, wearing it allows you to use a healing skill and - given you have the most healing skills - I'll equipt it to you Mona" Naruto said as he pulled out his phone and used the Meta-Transfer to give it to him on the 'Accessory' tab.

'Hmmm….a cat with a ring, it'd probably go on his tail or something….I swear I've seen that somewhere before but the cat was a girl and had white fur' Naruto thought with a bit of a chuckle before he shrugged it off.

"Other than that I got a healing item" he told the others as they really hadn't found many flowers so it seemed they weren't expecting much.

"Well either way let's keep going. We still have a target to find after all" Ryuji said as Naruto agreed and continued on driving.

Finding the platform to the next floor was quick and, as they arrived at the next floor, Morgana perked up a bit.

"I can sense our target somewhere in this area! Let's scour this floor for them" Morgana told them, alerting them that they wouldn't have to look any further for Takanashi's Shadow.

It wasn't too hard to find the weird swirling entrance to where Takanashi's Shadow was as it wasn't the type of thing they could drive by without noticing.

He didn't really need to ask as they drove in, Naruto knowing they all were ready to go.

Just like last time, the room with Takanashi's Shadow at the back of it was much 'calmer' than the rest of Mementos.

"This guy is pretty bad. From what I hear his bullying involves a lot of blackmail and takin' money from people. That kinda stuff" Ryuji said as Shiho nodded.

"If we don't make him change his heart he might get even worse if he's already doing stuff like that" she said with a frown before a look from everyone was all he needed to see that they were ready to fight.

"It's not my fault! It's theirs for not standing up for themselves!" Takanashi yelled at them, Naruto scoffing as he shook his head.

"That isn't how it works and you know it. Victims aren't at fault because the bully lordes power over them knowing that the victims can't fight back so how about we skip the excuses" Naruto told him with a glare, really hating assholes who try to paint themselves as the victims when confronted.

"The hell!? You're all ganging up on me too!? Are you Phantom Thieves some kind of gang!?" Takanashi asked, fear in his voice before he glared at them. "Protectors of justice my ass! Don't act high and mighty with me when you don't know anything!" he barked out at them before he transformed into a Jack Frost to fight them.

"You're the one who doesn't know anything! We know enough that it's clear your heart needs to be changed! Let's go guys!" Ryuji yelled out as Naruto nodded and they sprung into battle.

Honestly, Takanashi wasn't that difficult to fight. It was a bit odd that he wasn't weak to fire but he went down easily enough with all of them attacking him with their elements and guns.

As Takanashi returned to normal his shoulders were slumped, showing he was done.

"B-But if I don't do it they're gonna hurt me. I don't want people taking my money from me anymore!" he cried out, confusing them as he wasn't making much sense.

"What are you talking about?" Shiho asked, not sure what he meant.

"If I don't go after him then I'm the one who's gonna get bullied! I can't take it!, I just can't!" Takanashi cried out before Ann widened her eyes as it clicked for her.

"I think he's trying to say there's an even bigger bully who is ordering this guy around and is behind all of it" Ann said, getting a sigh out of Naruto.

"Seriously? That just sounds so ridiculous even if his reaction is genuine" Naruto said as the Shadow Takanashi looked over at him.

"Please, help me!" he cried out before Naruto sighed again.

"Fine! Just stop with the begging!" Naruto yelled out as Takanashi nodded frantically.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you, you wonderful Phantom Thieves! I'm counting on you, you guys promised" Takanashi said as Ryuji groaned.

"Fine but you better apologize to those people you bullied!" Ryuji said before Takanashi turned to light, leaving behind a Treasure.

"We should have asked for the name of the person who was bullying him since our last target showed that these Shadows can name names" Naruto told them, getting some embarrassed looks from them while he walked forward to grab the Treasure only to find it was some work out protein.

"Gee, what a great treasure…" Naruto muttered as he put it away and turned around to the others.

"So, what's the plan? We don't have any targets left and if you want to head back I can help us get back to the start from this doorway" Morgana suggested before Naruto rubbed his chin in thought a bit, his mind going back to what Jose said.

"Not yet, I want to head in a bit further to see what we can find. Is that okay?" he asked, getting nods and smiles from everyone, showing they were still good to go.

"I don't mind as we are getting a nice bit of money from all these fights and we're getting stronger as well" Ryuji said as he really enjoyed training and growing stronger here with his Persona.

"If you guys want to rest I can work to avoid more Shadows so don't worry" Naruto assured them, getting smiles from the girls as Morgana turned back into a van.

"Thanks for always looking out for us, we'll be sure to let you know" Shiho said with a smile as they headed back into the van.

As they drove he tried to balance things out, give them some fights to grow stronger with while also allowing them to rest in between battles.

It didn't take long to reach the platform to take them down to the third floor and, after a few more battles here and there, they were able to make their way down to the fourth floor. Only, as they made it to the bottom of the escalator, they once again found themselves at what seemed much more like a real train station only with an even odder sight across the way.

"What? Are those...? Those are people, right?" Ann asked, noticing groups of people on the other side where the actual train tracks were, all of them waiting for the train to arrive.

"Well, I'd say they're most likely Shadows" Morgana said as Naruto looked over at them.

"Seems like they are waiting for the train that runs on those tracks" Naruto said and, almost on cue, the red lit train came through and stopped for them only to drive off a few moments later with the Shadows gone.

"They got in...I wonder where they are going" Shiho muttered, a bit shocked that they got on the train and curious about where they were headed.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's taking them to the deepest parts of Mementos" Morgana told them as Naruto had the same feeling given that was apparently where Morgana felt the Treasure was located.

"Also, what's that on the platform?" Ryuji asked, referencing what seemed to be a waiting room on their side.

"Seems to be a waiting room, can't say I expected one to be here…" Ann said, this place confusing her more and more as they made their way through it.

"Well, this is a perfect place to rest a bit don't you think? Think of it like a safe room" Naruto suggested as he made his way over to sit down on one of the chairs before the others joined him. It felt nice to relax a bit after so much fighting and driving, he seriously didn't mind driving but dang did it make his legs sore from holding down the pedals for so long.

"Mona, can you do that fast travel thing from here?" he asked, sitting back up a bit as he was curious since this wasn't what he'd consider an ordinary floor.

"I think I can actually, why? You wanna head back?" Morgana asked before Naruto nodded.

"We made good progress, got our target taken care of and even found this place for next time. I'd say we did good" Naruto said as Ann nodded with a smile as she stood up.

"I totally agree, I don't mind heading back if you all don't" Ann said before the others got up as well.

"Yeah, we did a good deal of fighting and progress so I don't mind" Ryuji said as Morgana hopped off his seat.

"Then let's head on back" he said, leading the others to the escalator so that it would connect back to the beginning of Mementos and allow them to return to the real world.

"Now returning to the real world from Mementos. Thank you for your hard work" the Nav said as it transported them back.

-Real World-

"I am going to be so sore when I get home" Naruto groaned out as they all made their way back towards the actual train stations.

"Same here but it was worth it!" Ryuji said with a smirk, proud of how things went today as he definitely felt himself get stronger after a couple fights.

"Did you guys hear the rumor around school? Apparently we're getting another transfer student Monday, another guy and a first year" Ann said with an excited smile while Naruto raised an eyebrow at her and Ryuji let out a disappointed 'tsk', most likely at the fact that it wasn't a female transfer student.

"Seriously? Right before exams? That seems a bit odd" Naruto said while Ann just shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just what I heard around school. I don't know why but it was a sudden thing" she said as they reached the point where they'd have to split up.

"Hey Ann, do you need me to...you know?" Naruto asked subtly once Ryuji headed off towards his train before Ann shook her head with a smile and pulled Shiho in for a one armed hug.

"Shiho lives close to me so I'll be fine, thank you though as that is very sweet of you" Ann said with a giggle before the two of them left, leaving Naruto and Morgana to head home.

Morgana was quick to pass out, actually falling asleep before Naruto had even finished getting ready for bed. It was honestly perfect as it allowed him to look into something he had been curious about without a pair of cat eyes over his shoulder.

'Madarame...that name that Nakanohara mentioned...I know I've heard it somewhere' Naruto thought as he looked up the name on his phone. 'That's where I heard it! He has an art exhibit starting up soon and I saw an ad for him on the train with Ann' he thought with a bit of a frown as he came across a blog post.

'A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's works. Only his public face is shown on TV. His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful and he claims to live simply in an atelier he calls a 'shack' but it is merely a front. He teaches nothing and bosses his pupils around. He treats them inhumanely, as if discipling a dog' Naruto read with a frown before he bookmarked the page and went over to the Meta-Nav app.

"Ichiryusai Madarame, plagiarism, and shack" Naruto said aloud, seeing if it would pick up as that more or less felt like the 'person, crime, and place' he collected from the post while Naruto had no idea what the 'distortion' would be like how Kamoshida saw the school as a castle.

Hell he didn't even know where this 'shack' was.

"Palace Found - Keywords and Real World destination missing" the Meta-Nav declared, showing he had a good chunk of the info but was still missing the necessary stuff. Overall it really shocked Naruto as he seriously only half believed he'd get something. (*2)

If anything he expected a Mementos hit as those claims could have been exaggerated.

'Okay, I'll definitely have to bring this up later when it feels fitting…' Naruto thought as they still didn't have enough info.

For now he decided to just head to bed and wait for a window of opportunity to present itself before he brought up to them.

-5/7 - Saturday-

As he made his way towards the train with Ann he frowned as he once again noticed a familiar head of blue hair following them through the crowd. "I think this one guy is following us again. I've seen him around the last few times and even once when we came out from Mementos the first day" Naruto told Ann before he grabbed her wrist quickly as she tried to turn around.

"Don't look, just follow me" he said, getting a nod from her as they continued on with him guiding them towards the man who stood alongside the turnstile for the train towards school.

"Hi, what can I help you with?" he asked with a confused look as he noticed Ann's worried look on her face.

"My friend here has been followed by the same guy for the last few days. He's the tall guy with the dark blue hair. He follows us but never boards the same train as us, do you think you can have someone talk to him?" Naruto asked as the man subtly looked past them to look for the dark blue haired man in the crowd before nodding.

"Just wait here a second" the attendee said as he pulled out a walkie-talkie and relayed the info to most likely the officer on the other side. "We'll take care of this, please, head on to school" he told them before the two of them hurried onto the train.

"I hope that puts an end to it…" Ann muttered with a frown as she started out of the train just as the doors closed.

"We'll see, I'll head to school with you a few more days just in case" he assured her, wanting her to be safe before they stopped this.

"Thanks, that seriously eases my worries" Ann said, smiling warmly as she leaned against him for the train ride to school.

Once there they were a bit curious as they saw a bunch of students gathering around the bulletin board.

"What's this all about?" Naruto asked, getting one student to look back at him and sigh.

"Apparently we're having an assembly today, real nice of them to warn us ahead of time" the student said which easily explained why he sighed.

"Probably about Kamoshida though honestly, I don't trust any words from the Principal anymore. Especially not after him apparently helping Kamoshida abuse Suzui-san" they said with a glare that Ann matched with a nod.

"We'll see what bullshit he'll try and sell to us later today I guess" Naruto muttered with a roll of his eyes before they headed off to class.

By the time the assembly did roll around, from the whispers he had heard throughout the day, it was the general consensus that Principal Kobayakawa was trying to save his own ass as best as he could.

Safe to say, Naruto didn't think it was going to help the man at all.

Naruto could almost feel the rage coming from Ann as Kobayakawa stepped onto the stage despite her looking calm on the outside. He didn't blame her at all as he personally hated the man as well.

"Ever since that specific incident, many of you have voiced concerns that I could not bear to ignore" Kobayakawa started off once he walked up to the mike, already starting off with a load of bullshit. "We believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we've acquired the services of a therapist. The floor is yours Doctor" Kobayakawa said before introducing someone else who promptly walked on stage.

The man was tall with glasses and short unkempt hair. He wore a blue dress shirt with a checkered dark blue tie, khaki slacks, a white lab coat, and opened toed sandals.

Naruto watched as the man walked on stage, rolling his eyes a bit as the school girls whispered and muttered about how hot he was.

"It's nice to meet you all" he said, eliciting more whispers from the girls about how sexy his voice was. "My name is…" the man started before stopping suddenly to fix the microphone a bit "My name is Takuto Maruki. Thank you for welcoming me to your school" he introduced himself with a smile, going to bow only to whack his head onto the microphone - hurting himself and causing feedback which got some laughs and chuckles from the students.

"No need to be formal with me though, I'm just here to counsel anyone who's interested. You can even call me Doc, if that would help you feel more comfortable. Any assistance you need, I'll be - oh...I guess I'm not really any good for helping with money problems" he told them, making a bit of a joke that made a few more people laugh before Kobayakawa walked back over to the mic, essentially shoving him aside.

"Thank you, Dr. Maruki" Kobayakawa interrupted with an annoyed tone before he gave the usual 'work hard on your exams' spiel that all principals gave as he ended the assembly.

Naruto sighed as they walked out, walking alongside Ann as they did before Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Ryuji catching up with them.

"Yo. You guys ever expect this place to give a shit about our mental health?" Ryuji asked with a flat look while Naruto shook his head.

"Given how they let Kamoshida do whatever he wanted and the Principal was a part of it, no. Not at all" Naruto told him as Ann nodded alongside him.

"Since our school's made national news they probably figured they'd look even worse if they didn't do anything for us" she said which made sense given how Kobayakawa was so worried about appearances and reputation.

"It almost could work if it wasn't public knowledge that Kobayakawa helped Kamoshida with all the shit he's done" Naruto said with a flat look, getting a nod from Ann before Ryuji rubbed his head a bit.

"Yeah and Doctor whatshisname, wasn't that guy just clownin' it up onstage? You really think he'll do us any good?" Ryuji asked while Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"His name's Maruki and honestly he seemed fine and nice. If anything that was probably something to make him seem approachable which, with everything that's gone on here, I don't blame him" Naruto told him before giving Ryuji a 'shut up' look just as Maruki walked up to them.

"Hello there" Maruki said with a smile as he looked around at them. "Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right? And that must make you Uzumaki-kun" he said, surprising Ann and Ryuji while Naruto guessed that the school already briefed Maruki on them given their close proximity with the Kamoshida incident.

"How do you know our names?" Ryuji asked defensively as Maruki rubbed the back of his head a bit.

"Well, I was informed of certain students before beginning my tenure here. Those that had, ah...previous interactions with Mr. Kamoshida" he explained, confirming Naruto's thoughts since if he was here to counsel them for the aftermath of the events it only makes sense he was brief on them. "Uzumaki-kun, it must've been especially tough for you after having just transferred here" he said, looking over to him as Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"It wasn't that bad, I've never been the kind to let people get to me" Naruto told him as that was just how he's always been.

"You're quite the tough youngster, just don't overdo it, okay?" Maruki said before Ryuji sighed, visibly getting a bit impatient.

"So, what do you want with us?" Ryuji bluntly asked, him never being the kind to beat around the bush.

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten...I know I already offered my services to the student body earlier but would you three be interested in counseling?" Maruki asked before Ryuji instantly shook his head.

"Nope, not at all" he bluntly stated, making his feelings very clear and visibly surprising Maruki.

Although Naruto felt anyone would be surprised by how blunt and instant Ryuji's response was.

"How's that surprising?" Ryuji asked with a confused look before Maruki chuckled a bit.

"You were just a touch more emphatic about it than I'd expected" Maruki said before smiling a bit, showing he wasn't upset by the rejection. "But, if you come to my office you can have free snacks, all you can eat...would be nice but there's still plenty to be had. So how about it?" he offered, Naruto chuckling a bit at his tempting them with snacks.

"Honestly the snacks are nice but there's something you're trying to soften with the offer, isn't there?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from Maruki as he smiled.

"You are sharp but I wasn't doing it with shady intentions...to be frank, I've been explicitly ordered to provide counseling to the students directly involved with Mr. Kamoshida. It's in the school's interest...for it's students" he told them as Ryuji nodded.

"Ahhh, the school's interest, huh?" Ryuji asked with heavy sarcasm and disbelief before Naruto sighed.

"Look, I'm not doubting your intentions but after everything the Principal has done and how several teachers looked the other way you can understand if we don't believe this is anything more than damage control" Naruto told Maruki, not hating the man for wanting to help - which he seemed to genuinely want to do - but just not believing that school wanted to.

"I understand your distrust towards the school but, aside from them, I do want to help. I also know asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot when adults around you have shown they aren't to be trusted" Maruki started to explain, showing he didn't condone or agree with the school. "Making this mandatory wouldn't do you any good either so to make it a worthwhile experience how about, if you attend my counseling sessions, I'll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams or not get nervous on dates. How's that sound?" he offered to them as Naruto frowned and rubbed his chin in thought.

'Mental acuity….would that carry over to Metaverse stuff? If we can strengthen our Persona by strengthening our hearts then maybe it could' he thought with a bit of a hum.

"There's also snacks~" Maruki made clear one more time, that being enough to make Naruto chuckle as Ryuji somewhat got annoyed.

"Alright, alright, enough with the snacks!" Ryuji said, annoyed but not actually angry-annoyed if his tone was anything to go by before he and Ann looked over towards him. "So, which way are you leanin'?" he asked, them wanting his opinion given he was the leader.

Though he didn't expect his 'lead' to carry over into things like this.

"Honestly, given the school is forcing him to do it I can see our teachers telling us that we are forced as well. Plus, a little chat can't hurt that much" he told them, getting a groan and a sigh from Ryuji before he nodded.

"I guess it'd just be more trouble for us if we didn't go" Ryuji admitted as Ann agreed with him.

"Really? Then I guess it's a deal. I'll be in the nurse's office, feel free to come by whenever it's convenient for you" Maruki told them before Ann and Ryuji walked off. "Before you leave, I just want to say thanks for taking my counseling into consideration. Now that we have a deal I promise I'll do my best to help you" he assured him, Naruto nodding before he watched as the world turned grey for him.

"I am thou, thou art I….Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Councillor Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…" the woman's voice spoke out, revealing he had formed a bond with Maruki.

He continued to watch as a blue light floated out from him before it turned into another magatama shaped Persona, this one being more grey than the last.

"I am Kushi Mitama, the beginning Persona of the Councillor Arcana. I'll bring some vigor back to your body! Come on, let's check out the wondrous nature of this world!" the Persona said as Naruto decided to leave it be for now as the world turned back to normal.

"What's the hold up dude!?" Ryuji called out before Maruki chuckled a bit.

"Sorry for keeping you like this, see you when you decide to come visit" Maruki said with a smile before Naruto nodded and went to rejoin the others to head back to class.

"Okay, listen up everyone as I have an addendum to the assembly regarding the counseling you've all been offered" Kawakami started to tell them after they all sat back down. "The counselor will be available to you starting after school today in the nurse's office. He'll only be posted here through November so be sure to speak with him soon if you feel the need" she explained before she sighed a bit.

"For the majority of you though, it's your choice whether or not you see him but there are a few students I'll speak with later as the school has decided that the visits will be mandatory for those individuals" she told the class, Naruto noticing her eyes glancing his way for a quick moment as he just nodded to show he had already gotten the message before his phone buzzed.

Ryuji: Yo, you guys gonna go for it?

Shiho: Go for what?

Naruto: The school hired some counselor for us to talk to so they don't seem like assholes for letting the Kamoshida stuff happen

Naruto: It's also mandatory for us due to how Kamoshida messed with us

Ann: It sounds like we're being forced to

Ryuji: I already told Maruki I'd do it, but...I dunno if I'm really that into the idea, you know?

Naruto: All you have to do is go there once and at least try a bit. I think that will fill the school's quota

Ann: I agree as going against it would draw more attention to ourselves. I'm probably going to try going today

Naruto: Tell us how it is without, you know, spilling what you talked with him about

Ann: Will do

After that class, and the rest of school, went on as usual before Naruto watched Ann head off for counseling.

"So, what shall we do while she's off doing that?" Naruto asked Morgana as the 'not-cat' poked his head out from the bag.

"I want to stay around school just in case Lady Ann needs our help" Morgana said, earning an eye roll from Naruto as he nodded before his phone chimed.

He read over the walls of text Mishima was sending his way, mentioning about the bully who was controlling the target they just went after that Mishima had figured out about.

While Mishima didn't know the name he mentioned that they were known to hang near the front gate of the school.

"Well, decent way to waste some time" Naruto said with a shrug as they headed down towards the front of the school.

Once out front Naruto looked around as he casually walked in the direction of the train station in search for anything that might lead him to the one who was bullying Takanashi only to be surprised as he saw Takanushi himself talking with someone else.

And by the looks of it Takanushi was fed up with the guy he was talking to.

He was careful as he walked up to them, stopping nearby as he kneeled down to tie his shoe so he could listen in on them.

"You sure about that? I can't imagine you want me to release this video of you stealing…" the black haired student said, a smirk evident in his tone despite Naruto not being able to see his face.

"Fine! Just stop making me bleed people dry Sakoda!" Takanushi yelled, clearly done with this and wanting out of the whole situation.

"Hey, you did all that on your own. You really want me to show this to your teachers, Takanushi? Another word out of your mouth and I'll debut your film to the whole world" Sakoda threatened, his tone going dark as Takanushi clenched his fists, knowing he could do nothing.

"The 'Yoshimori Sakoda Tapes' will be a huge hit!" Sakoda hissed out to him, Naruto smirked as now he had a full name.

"You MADE me do it! Damn it…" Takanushi cursed as Naruto got up and turned around, heading back towards school.

"We got a name, all we need to do is find time to head into Mementos later" Naruto said which got a nod from Morgana before Naruto's phone chimed, him seeing that he got a message from Ann.

Ann: Well, I went in for counseling. You're going soon too, right?

Naruto: Yeah, how'd it go for you?

Ann: Well, it honestly wasn't as rough as I was expecting

Ann: I think you should just go and give it a shot. Dr. Maruki is much easier to talk to than you'd think

Ann: Give it a go and I'll see you tomorrow. I'm off to go hang out with Shiho!

Naruto: Have fun and tell her I said hi for me, will you?

Ann: Will do!

Naruto smiled as he put his phone away and decided to head on down to the nurse's office. As he arrived though he was surprised a bit by the sight of Maruki friendly talking with Yoshizawa in front of the office.

"Oh, hello. Are you here for a session as well?" Yoshizawa asked with a smile as Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I promised Dr. Maruki I'd give it a go" Naruto told her which got a brighter from her.

"Dr. Maruki is a wonderful counselor. I've actually been seeing him for a while, before he ever came to Shujin" she praised, still smiling while Maruki looked back and forth from the two of them.

"I didn't know you two were acquainted. Oh, but don't go over-selling me too hard Yoshizawa-san - I'm really nothing special" Maruki said before trying to stop her, clearly a bit embarrassed by the praise which only got a giggle from her.

"Well, I need to get going. Please excuse me" she said before quickly bowing and walking off, leaving the two of them alone.

"What say we get started?" Maruki suggested as Naruto nodded and walked in behind him. "Thank you for coming by the way" he added as they got inside.

"Don't worry, we made a deal after all" Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders as he didn't see much trouble in coming here.

Well, I'll try to make sure it's worth the trouble" he said as they sat down, Naruto sitting on one sofa and Maruki on a nearby one.

Figuring it was the best place to start Naruto began with the beginning, telling him about how things started with Kamoshida from the moment he got here - sans the Metaverse aspects.

He told him how Kamoshida targeted him from the start to try and get him on the team only to grow more and more angry with him due to the volleyball rally and him calling the man out on Shiho.

He also went a bit in detail about his thoughts when he had leapt to save her, how he was solely focused on saving her and his own well being second.

Personally he was the first to admit he was scared, but not for himself. He remembers being scared for Shiho, wanting her to be safe and that turned to determination to save her no matter what happened to him.

He knew he wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if he hadn't done something to save her when she was about to jump and - in the end - it worked out well since she was safe and happier now.

"I see...thank you. I think I've gotten a good grasp of the situation you're in Uzumaki-kun. And, with full disclosure, the school gave me a brief rundown of the circumstances surrounding your transfer here" Maruki revealed, which didn't surprise Naruto since he was the only student here with a criminal record.

"It's in the past honestly. I don't regret my action by saving that woman" Naruto told him as never once did he regret what he did or the odd outcome that came from it.

"Did you have to force yourself to accept everything that happened…? No, that doesn't seem to be it" Maruki asked before muttering to himself a bit before smiling over at him. "Now that you've told me more about yourself I think I've realized something. It seems like you've largely been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one. I should note that it really, truly is impressive. Even most adults can't reliably manage that" he explained to him before resting his hand on his chin in thought only to notice Naruto's confused look as he had no idea what he meant by it.

Naruto knew about 'mental mindscapes' due to a friend of his back home being really into that kind of stuff who in turn explained it to him one day when he asked her about a book she was reading.

Personally, given everything with the Metaverse, a part of him felt he should have asked her more when he had the chance.

"How do I put it….You know how everyone has an internal reality? Some conception of themselves they're striving for? Like wanting to be a model student or wanting to be loved and relied on, that kind of thing" Maruki explained, his explanation making more sense to him.

"But, in most cases, the idealized reality and the one in actuality are often far apart. That gap is responsible for a lot of people's pain. Not everyone can ace their exams and not everyone can be the heroes they wish they could be" Maruki continued along his explanation which helped paint a bit more of a solid picture of what he was trying to get at.

"You've already been through so much. That kind of suffering is usually enough to twist people up into dark places. But you - you're standing up to it and confronting a tough, painful reality. To me, that's pretty admirable" he praised, Naruto seeing some truth to it - especially considering all the stuff he hadn't told him regarding his parents...and former best friend.

"Then again, that might be a little weird for you to hear from a guy you just met" he added with a bit of an embarrassed chuckle.

"Honestly, it sounds about right when you say it like that" Naruto agreed while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment a bit.

"Not even any deflecting self-deprecation! You really are strong, Uzumaki-kun" Maruki said, sounding as if he was impressed before looking over to the time and frowning. "Whoa, I'm sorry. This went on longer than I expected. Somehow the conversation just took on a life of its own" he apologized before Naruto waved him off.

"It's fine, sometimes the time just flies by" Naruto told him as he watched while Maruki furrowed his eyebrows in thought before looking over at him.

"Before you leave, I actually have one last request. If you don't mind" Maruki said before Naruto nodded to get him to continue. "I'm actually doing certain research along with my duties as a counselor. It's not quite like counseling, more like a type of psychological treatment" he said, trying his best to explain. "Basically, it's a project to learn more about people's metaphorical hearts. What they think, how they feel. If I get far enough with it I think it'll be able to help a lot of people! So…?" he continued, leaving it open ended to ask for his support.

"I mean, I'm not against helping if that's what you're asking" Naruto told him before Maruki quickly nodded.

"Y-Yes! That's what I'm asking, sorry. I do want your help with that research of mine" Maruki quickly told him, a bit flustered for not being clear. "All you'd have to do is listen to my theories and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realizations on your end. Any time is good for me - I can work around your schedule" he said, frantically trying to assure him before Naruto held up a hand to slow him down.

"Don't need to try and convince me so hard, I'm more than happy to help if I can" Naruto told him, getting a thankful look from him as he smiled brightly at his answer.

"Really!? Yes! You're a lifesaver!" Maruki thanked before he quickly snapped his fingers. "I know! Maybe I can teach you some tips for mental training. I happen to know a lot on the subject and I'm sure I can cook up a special regimen for you. I'm sure you would be able to draw out your full potential" he told him as Naruto nodded, interested how this 'mental training' would help in the Metaverse.

"Great! Then that's our second deal" Maruki said with a smile while Naruto felt his bond with Maruki increase.

"Oh! Would it be okay if we trade contact information? I'll contact you when I've got time or when I need some input from you" he suggested as Naruto chuckled and pulled out his phone.

"I mean, it would be needed if we are doing this deal of ours" Naruto told him before they traded numbers.

The mental training that came afterwards was odd, not really something he expected, but also quite interesting.

By the time he was done he was surprised at just how late it had gotten, Naruto feeling a bit exhausted and just decided to head home for sleep.

-5/8 - Sunday-

Naruto couldn't help but yawn as he walked downstairs after getting changed, stretching a bit before plopping down on the chair at the bar.

"Is school going well for you despite the fiasco with that one teacher and the principal?" Sojiro asked as he knew that was the last thing needed around Naruto given his probation.

"Things are going well school wise but police are starting to show up to question people and teachers about it all. I know how to keep my head down so don't worry" Naruto assured him, getting an unsure look from Sojiro before he nodded and chose to believe him.

"Well, just be sure to eat up as it sounds like someone wants to talk" Sojiro said with a smirk as Naruto's phone chimed like it always seemed to do in the morning before he got to eating.

Once done he headed back upstairs to see who had messaged him, smiling a bit as he noticed it was from Shiho.

Shiho: Hey, I'm going to be hanging out in Shibuya today and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come hang out

Shiho: Though, I hope you don't mind Ann tagging along…

Naruto: That sounds like fun, and don't worry. I don't mind hanging out with you and Ann. I'll be right over

Shiho: Great! We're heading over in a bit, we'll meet you at the train station

With plans made he headed off towards Shibuya, noticing Ann, Shiho, and surprisingly Ryuji as he passed the turnstile.

"Oh hey Ryuji, didn't expect to see you here" Naruto said with a smirk as Ryuji nodded with a smirk of his own.

"Yeah I was heading over here to play at the arcade a bit when I ran into these two. Do you have plans with them~?" Ryuji teased, elbowing him a bit in the stomach playfully as Shiho blushed and Ann smacked him on the arm with a stern glare.

"Oh relax, I was joking" Ryuji assured Ann while she still glared at him before Naruto chuckled at the two of them.

"Shiho invited me to hang with her and Ann, that's all" he said, getting a smirk and nod from Ryuji before Naruto noticed Ann looking around a bit.

"What's wrong? You see a groper or something?" Ryuji asked before Naruto shook his head and gave Ryuji a serious look to tell him it was a good deal more serious.

"Ryuji, you lead us. Shiho, stay near Ann. I'll be right behind" Naruto told them, motioning for them to go, all of them heading up out of the station, mixed in with the crowd of people with Shiho clinging to Ann.

Naruto did his best to glance over his shoulder as nonchalantly as possible while Ryuji did the same.

"Oh god! It's the same guy from before I think" Ann told him, Naruto nodding as he agreed before gently putting grabbing her wrist.

He was gentle but quick as he pulled her - and by extension Shiho - up the escalator they were heading up.

"Ann, I know this is a bit scary but you'll have to stand out there on your own when we get up there. This is the first time he's followed you out of the station so we need to confront him. We'll be right nearby when he comes out" Naruto told her as they continued walking up the escalator, looking back at her to gauge her thoughts on it before she nodded with a clearly nervous look in her eyes.

"We'll be right there, just a bit off to the side" he assured her again, getting another nod from her with the nervousness easing up in her eyes.

As they got out from the station Naruto looked over to Ryuji and motioned his head to the side, silently telling him to wait over there as he and Shiho waited on the other side so they could flank him.

He could tell Shiho was nervous while they waited, her frantic looking from Ann and then the stairs and back to Ann making it clear. "It'll be okay Shiho, she isn't in any danger" Naruto assured her with a hand on her shoulder, gently calming her down as she nodded.

It didn't take long before the guy made his way up the stairs, no words needed to be said for them to walk up as the man walked closer and reached out towards her.

This being the first time he really saw the 'stalker' for the first time he was able to get a complete look of him rather than just his head like before.

He was rather tall, reaching a few inches shorter than him with sleek dark blue hair with parted bangs that slightly covered his left eyes, both of which were grey. His outfit was a bit classy, consisting of a white long sleeve shirt with a fleur-de-lis embroidered on it with fitted black pants and black loafers.

The thing that felt weird to Naruto was how the man almost seemed confused why they had stopped him, making Naruto think he might be a bit off in some way.

"Is there something you want?" the guy asked, quickly reaffirming Naruto's suspicions.

"That's my line!" Ann yelled out as she pushed past the three of them to point a finger at the strange teen. "You were the one stalking me!" she declared, getting the guy to take a step back, still seemingly confused as he looked at her finger and then up to her.

"Stalking you…? That's outrageous" he said before Naruto quickly shook his head.

"No, it really isn't since you got pulled to the side by station police when I pointed you out AND you've been following my friend here for the last week or so" Naruto pointed out with a bit of a glare as he stepped forward towards the unknown teen who still looked as if he was confused.

"I saw you from the car and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you. I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei but thank goodness I caught up to you" he said, utterly ignoring all of their comments

"Okay, just ignore how you've been stalking her and everything I said, why don't you" Naruto said, his refusal to acknowledge it confusing and moderately annoying the others as well.

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time! Please, won't you-" he started to say as Ann quickly started to shake her head.

"W-Wait a minute. I-" she tried to interrupt him before the guy took a step and made a grand sweep of his arm and interrupted her.

"Be the model for my next art piece!?" he declared to her, confusing everyone.

"You stalked her for a week because you wanted her to be the model of your art?" Shiho asked, utterly confused as it didn't make sense and just screamed dangerous to her.

"All that I've drawn till now has been lacking but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else" the guy said as Morgana burst up from his bag.

"This man's highly suspicious!" he yelled out as, for once, Shiho and Naruto agreed with his jealousy.

"Ain't this a recruit for some shady business that'd be seen in somewhere like Shinjuku?" Ryuji asked with a raised eyebrow as Shiho nodded, her eyes still narrowed towards the stalker.

"Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?" the guy asked before Naruto quickly took a step forward, getting in between him and Ann.

"Hold your horses, are you seriously asking the girl you stalked for a week to model for you without introducing yourself or even apologizing?" Naruto asked him as he took a step back and nodded.

"Where are my manners? I'm a second-year at Kosei High's fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa" he introduced before he walked forward and tried to shove Naruto out of the way only for him to refuse to budge and give him a 'are you serious' look that made him take a step back.

"I-I'm Madarame-sensei's pupil and I am being allowed residence at his place" Yusuke said, a bit taken aback by Naruto not budging. "I'm striving to become an artist" he told them, the name drop of 'Madarame' catching Naruto's attention.

"Do you mean THAT Madarame? The one who was on 'Good Morning Japan' the other day?" Ann asked as she peered over Naruto's shoulder, a bit glad her friend was staying between her and Yusuke.

"The very same" Yusuke confirmed as Naruto noticed the confused look on Ryuji's face.

"Madarame is a really famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world" Naruto explained, getting a nod from Ryuji a bit. "We also heard that name in Mementos" he reminded them, all of their eyes widening a bit as they heard a car pull up nearby.

"Yusuke!" a voice called out, getting them to look over as they saw an old man in the back of a car.

"I'm sorry Sensei. I'll be right there!" Kitagawa hastily called back before looking back at them. "Madarame-sensei's exhibition will begin tomorrow at the department store near the station. I'll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by as it'd be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then" he told Ann before narrowing his eyes at the rest of them.

"I bet you have no interest in the fine arts but I'll give you tickets too" Kitagawa said, his tone clearly condescending as Naruto took the tickets with a bit of a glare.

"Yeah as the last thing we want is for our friend to be alone with her stalker!" Naruto told him, saying the last word as slow as he could to try and get through his dense head.

"Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow" Kitagawa said, once again not registering or acknowledging the words, before getting into the car and leaving.

"Is it bad that I wanted to shake that guy vigorously until he admitted to stalking?" Naruto grumbled out with Shiho quickly shaking her head.

"No it definitely isn't" she grumbled along with him while Ann rubbed her back to console her a bit.

Shiho had been the first person she told about the 'stalking' and she had been a bit worried for Ann which she understood given everything with Kamoshida. It made Shiho happy when she learned Naruto had offered to help her with it since Shiho wasn't exactly able to.

"That guy's as easy to read as a book...You're not plannin' on goin' are ya?" Ryuji asked as Ann looked down at the ticket in her hand.

"I think I will…" she admitted, surprising them all before Naruto cleared his throat.

"If that's the case I think I should show you what I found. How about we head to Big Bang Burger, we can talk without being overheard all that much" he told them as he pulled out his phone, getting a nod from them before they followed him over.

He did his best to explain everything he found and how he found it while they ate. As he explained things he could see that Ryuji looked excited - most likely due to the prospect of a new target - while Ann and Shiho looked worried which was probably due to different reasons.

"I figured this out not too long ago but haven't had a chance to bring it up till now. What do you guys think?" Naruto asked as Morgana finished eating the fry he was chewing on.

"If he has a Palace he is a prime target and possesses a distorted heart" Morgana said, voicing his opinion on it. "Naruto was skillfully able to uncover everything except the 'what' Madarame sees his atelier which we also don't know where it is in the real world" he explained a bit more as Shiho hummed in thought.

"When you say the 'what' do you mean like how Kamoshida thought the school was a castle?" she asked, getting a nod from Morgana, telling her that she was right.

"Look, I'm all for checking this out but now this has me worried a bit about Kitagawa….could he have made that post?" she asked, getting Naruto to rub his chin in thought before he had to shake his head.

"Given his attitude today towards his Sensei and whatnot I really don't think so. It most likely is one of his past students" Naruto suggested as it didn't really make sense for Kitagawa to make the post and be so gung-ho about things.

"Seems like we really are going to have to head to the art exhibit tomorrow and you'll have to try and get Kitagawa's info so we can check the place out" Ryuji told Ann, getting a shocked look from her.

"S-So suddenly? I'm not ready to model yet!" Ann said before Naruto put his hands up to stop her.

"I'm pretty sure Ryuji just means so we can talk to Kitagawa and find the address of Madarame's atelier, not actually agree to his offer right away" Naruto quickly assured her, easing her worries as she nodded lightly.

"We'll take this one part at a time before we decide on targeting him. Let's try and see if we can figure out the 'what' right now as it'd make things easier for when we get there" Naruto suggested as he put his phone on the table with the Meta-Nav open.

"How about castle?" Ann said, clearly unsure before the Nav's 'no match found' told her that her guess was wrong.

"'Jail! Warehouse'! 'Guidance counselin' office'! Might as well add 'farm'!" Ryuji rapid-fired off guesses with the app repeatedly saying 'no match found' after each of them, the sounds stacking up on one another with how quick he was going.

"Okay how do any of those make sense for the Palace of an artist?" Shiho asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion, getting Ryuji to slump down on the table and groan.

"I agree with Shiho, we have to think in an art-ish theme, if that makes any sense. Something that fits with that I feel" Naruto said as Shiho furrowed her brow in thought before sighing.

"I'm not too sure of this but what about an 'art school'?" she suggested only to frown as it also got 'no match found'.

"You're onto something Shiho...a building related to artists…" he thought out loud before he widened his eyes as it clicked for him. "A museum" he quickly said as the Meta-Nav chimed.

"Match Found. Awaiting arrival to begin navigation" it said, showing that Naruto had guessed right.

"A museum? Wonder how that's going to look…" Ryuji muttered before Naruto picked his phone back up and looked over the screen, curious about it as well.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow, for now I think it's best to just prepare for whatever we might learn tomorrow at the exhibition or the next day when we hopefully are able to learn where the atelier is from Kitagawa" Naruto told them, getting nods from everyone.

"This so messed with all the plans we had...I so wanted to go shopping with you and Shiho" Ann grumbled as she slumped on the table, getting Shiho to rub her back with a soft smile since it was starting to get late.

"Hey, tomorrow will be exciting as there is that transfer student showing up" Shiho reminded her, getting Ann to quickly sit back up and look at him and Ryuji with stars in her eyes as if she remembered something exciting.

"That reminds me! Guys! I've been hearing around school and the transfer student might be some kind of celebrity!" Ann said with an excited smile while Ryuji just looked at her as if he didn't believe her.

"No really! I heard from a whole lot of people who overheard teachers talk about it. This is going to be big" Ann told them as Naruto leaned back in his chair and sipped his soda.

"Sounds like it could be interesting though with all the bad publicity the school has it makes me wonder why a celebrity would enroll here" Naruto muttered as it just felt rather odd to him. "Like why jump into this mess of a school where some teachers and even the principal allowed Kamoshida to do all the shitty things he did. That's the kind of stuff someone famous would usually avoid like the plague" he added onto it with a hum as he stared at the tray of fries, eyes narrowed in thought.

"We'll just have to wait and see who they are and how it goes tomorrow" Ann said, giving Shiho a look telling her that she'll tell her how it goes while Naruto just nodded slightly at it.

His curiosity was running wild with the 'why' and 'who' but, as Ann said, all he could do is wait and see.

Hopefully it's a good surprise as a troublesome surprise was the last thing any of them needed with the whole 'Principal sending Niijima-senpai after them' scenario.

'Shujin and good don't seem to mix entirely but we'll have to wait and see I guess' he thought, ready to accept whatever may come tomorrow - good or bad.

-Chapter End-

Pairing: Naruto x Futaba, Ann, Shiho, Makoto, Haru, Kasumi, Kawakami, Tae, Caroline, Justine, Lavensa, Sae, Hifumi, Ohya, Chihaya, and one more TBA (due to it being a massive spoiler to a change I have in mind)

Important: I made an edit in chapter 8, giving Naruto two aunts. Just felt I should make it clear in this chapter as well and - like I said in the note in that chapter - neither are Naruto-verse characters.

*1 = This is my way of working in the 'Stamp Collecting' without actually making Naruto and the others collect all the stamps as can you imagine how boring and monotonous that would be!?

Think of it as the % of money and exp as gradually rising as they go along. Right now it's at like an extra 10% and as they continue on it'll get higher and higher

*2 = I know, as a game, things have to go at a certain pace but seriously, if a Shadow told me the name Madarame I'd definitely look into the name, both online and on the Meta-Nav. Consider this a 'degaming' aspect of things.

Before I get to the story notes I would like to remind everyone I do have a pat reon which includes rewards like seeing progress updates, notifications to new stories I plan to do, voting polls, and early access to chapters before I post them on FF.

Simple go to pat reon and paste:

/user?u=4783680

At the end of pat reon's url and you'll find my page.

You don't get anything that everyone here won't get aka there will be no "pat reon exclusive stories" or things where I have to get a certain amount of money before I work on something as both of those are shitty practices.

It is solely "hey, you want to support me, a disabled unemployed writer who survives off my disability checks? Thanks, I appreciate it" and nothing more

So yeah, check it out if you want, now onto chapter notes!

First thing you might notice is the pairing. Chihaya, Ohya, and Hifumi were all added as someone reminded me of an important tidbit. Throughout the course of the confidant route all the female confidants fall for the MC and would do the same for Naruto due to him helping them and being different than the MC (as Naruto is much more vocal and supportive). Because of that I decided to add Chihaya and Hifumi and re-add Ohya (as honestly I really like Ohya's hair and lipstick as well as her interesting attitude lol)

As you guys have seen, I did my best to personalize the Ring of Lust, which I will do with all the Will Seed Rings. I also hope you guys appreciated my Gatomon reference lol

With Takanashi I didn't write the full fight as I don't feel I need to write out every Shadow encounter or write out every battle. Especially in Mementos, Palaces will be another story done on a case by case basis but for the most part I will summarize things, hope that's all good

This is another 'short' chapter although I don't think anyone would consider 17k - almost 18k amount of words as short lol (I know it says 18.3k but FF messes with the word count when I put in the line breaks throughout my end notes lol)

Think of this chapter and the last as the set up chapters for the next Palace arc. Next chapter is when things really start AND when my first major change to things is debuted which is a big reason why I cut the chapter where I did.

LAST thing I want is for my change to be just casually chuckled at the end of a chapter. That would just make it feel beyond flat with little impact you know?

Overall I like how the chapter went and how it's setting up the next Palace arc

I hope you all liked it

Until Next Time

Rate and Review

Buh-Bye!