Chapter 67: Cultural Festival Begins

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People are like lumps of clay, beginning as soft, unshaped masses. As infants, they are pliable and untouched, their potential limitless. The gentle hands of caregivers start to mold them, shaping their earliest contours and giving them form. This clay, still damp and easily impressed, absorbs the marks.

Entering adolescence, they reached a critical stage. The fires of self-discovery heat a person, making them more resistant to change. This is a time of intense molding, where the pressure and the trials of growing up either strengthen their shape or threaten to crack it.

As a teacher, Shouta thought this metaphor was best suited to describing the development of his students, but then he met the anomaly that was Sakura Haruno who continued to shake the foundations of his understanding.

She was the hardest mold, to filter, and cure. Perhaps because she was already solidified, ready for the final stages before the rest.

But he was stunned when he overheard his class chattering on a Sunday night about special training by Sakura personally. She was organizing a battle royal of sorts it seemed.

If it were any other student, he would likely have let them be. Lately, Sakura had been far more complacent than before, and it did give Shouta slight suspicions of her reasoning behind it. And he had to confront her about this arrangement when he caught her in the hallway.

 "A battle royale, huh?"

Sakura turned to face her teacher, unfazed by his presence. "That's right."

"You're truly that confident in taking on your entire class alone Haruno?"

Sakura shook her head, folding her arms under her chest. "This is purely for training. You must realize by now, Aizawa, that we're not all standing on the same stage. The League of Villains is still out there, and they seem like the type to hold grudges. They need to be prepared."

For a moment, Aizawa studied her, weighing her words. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But keep it controlled. I don't want any injuries or unnecessary chaos."

Sakura nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Of course. It's just a training exercise."

Satisfied with her assurance, Aizawa shifted the topic. "And the updates on Eri?"

While the teachers at U.A had taken over many of Sakura's former activities with the young girl, including teaching her about the world, Sakura was the primary holder of her trust and therefore held the responsibility of pulling Eri forward, helping her integrate socially, stepping out of her comfort zone and most importantly coming to terms with her quirk and learning to use it properly.

Sakura's demeanor softened at the mention of the girl. "She's doing better, but she's still struggling with interacting with people. We've gone to the city a few times, but her perception of things is a bit slow due to her isolation."

Aizawa nodded, "I see. Do you think taking her to see the preparations for the festival would help?"

"I think it would be great for her."

"Alright. Just make sure she's comfortable and not overwhelmed."

"I will," Sakura walked off then, but Shouta kept observing her.

He couldn't help but feel disturbed, it was due to the recent discussion he had with Toshinori about Sakura.

In order to interrogate All For One, Toshinori went personally to confront him at Tartarus Prison. He didn't share all the details of their discussion but did mention that All For One seems to have developed a fixation on Sakura. More specifically her power.

Shouta didn't know if that could count as odd, for the saying goes the more you have the more you want. And All for One wanted power, and for a long time, he had been able to leisurely take from anyone he desired.

"He was practically foaming at the mouth, stating he had never encountered a power like Haruno's," Toshinori said, his tone almost dulcet but laced with a sharp edge. "He claimed and I quote that despite my vast array of stolen Quirks, I couldn't comprehend what I had touched in her soul.' He even described it as something otherworldly, radiating an energy that felt like a dream. He said that without a doubt, if he could grasp that power, the world would be his, and I don't think he meant it metaphorically."

Aizawa had listened in his usual stoic expression betraying nothing, but inside, he had felt a growing unease. All For One had ranted about the potential within Sakura, describing it as something he desperately wanted to possess.

'These are the ravings of a madman,' Aizawa had initially thought. But Toshinori had been concerned enough to share this information, emphasizing the need to keep Sakura close, to prevent her from running away again. The underlying fear in Toshinori's eyes had made Aizawa reconsider the weight of the villain's words.

Even though he had been put away, his underlings still ran free, and no one knew the extent of his influence. It's the reason he didn't have an execution date set, for that was how impactful he could be. If All Might was the greatest influence of the hero world, then All for One was the villain.

The League of Villains was still out there, lurking in the shadows, and they were not the type to forgive or forget. And Sakura was worth targeting.

"We have to be prepared," he muttered to himself. "For whatever comes next."

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The preparations for the upcoming school festival were in full swing, and the students were busy rehearsing and setting up the various elements of their performance. In a quiet corner of the gymnasium, Izuku Midoriya and Sakura Haruno sat on the bleachers, discussing the recent changes in their roles. The effects group realized that Aoyama's light show was going to be somewhat stiff and limited if he was left hanging like a disco ball, and asked to take Izuku to fix that issue. Hence his role in the dance team had been cut short.

Izuku was shocked at first, but he conceded to the offer. "I'm fine with it, but I did put in so much practice,"

Sakura patted his shoulder. "I find it a little strange that you struggled to learn how to dance when you're fighting style has made you agile."

He didn't understand it either, and probably wouldn't have noticed if she didn't point it out.

Izuku's cheeks reddened further. "Actually I've been having trouble with my Shoot Style. I can't seem to get used to using it consecutively, especially when I'm moving around a lot."

Sakura's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I think the best way to tackle this is through actual practice. If you keep sparring with me, you'll eventually learn to use your powers as easily as breathing."

Izuku looked up, hope flickering in his eyes. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Sakura said with a confident nod. "Think of it like dancing. Once you know the steps, it becomes second nature. You just need to get comfortable with the flow."

Izuku smiled, feeling a bit more encouraged. "Thanks, Sakura-wait didn't you say just I couldn't dance?"

Sakura grinned back, sticking out her tongue, "Meh?"

Mineta called to the two, "Would you guys get back here we need to do the last practice!? Stop with the lovey-dovey meetings!"

"M-Minoru!"

That night they were chased out at 9 pm and headed to bed early for the awaited cultural festival.

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Sakura woke after another nightmare, but she was able to push it to the back of her mind with the thoughts of the preparations for the cultural festival. She had to help prepare for the day but also needed to make sure that Eri was taken care of.

Sakura knocked gently on Eri's door, half-expecting the little girl to still be asleep. To her surprise, she found Eri already awake.

"Sakura!" Eri exclaimed, bouncing on her bed.

"Good morning, Eri. Are you ready for a fun day?"

"Uh-huh!" She nodded. "I wanna see Sakura's concert!"

It was a relief to see that she at least didn't have to worry about the girl.

The day before, they had done a walkthrough with Mirio to help Eri become accustomed to everything. They had explored the unfinished displays and booths that were still being set up, making sure Eri wouldn't be startled today. It also helped them make a list of attractions they could explore together after the concert.

Eri was now also more accustomed to Mirio as well, which was a weight off Sakuras' chest, knowing that Eri would be alright with him.

"Alright," Sakura said, taking Eri's hand. "Let's go."

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The school grounds were livelier than ever, students were up before the break of dawn to make their last preparations for the day. The morning air was filled with the sounds of last-minute preparations, students madly rushing about, some carrying boxes and props for their touch-ups. Teachers were already patrolling the areas to make sure everything was up to code. While they hoped things would go off without problems, there was still a lot of scrutiny for the school. And if anything were to happen, the Cultural festival would be canceled and a lockdown would ensue.

'Those people do seem to attack at the worst times,' Sakura quickly realized that the League had moved in a manner that caused a lot of damage to the reputation of the school and put the heroes under a lot of scrutiny by society. Of course, she wasn't entirely clear on how they operated before, but it wasn't typical for villains to go after heroes in the making.

'Well, their leader's taken off anyway,' Sakura thought as she pushed open the classroom door.

In the classroom, the girls were changing into their outfits—yellow suits with violet tights. The girls wore skirts, while the boys donned pants. The fabric was leathery and tight, which Sakura wasn't too fond of.

"Has anyone seen Deku?" asked Ochaco, fixing her hair.

"He said he was going to buy rope. I think he went to the store," said Tsuyu.

They had worn out the rope needed for the special effects and Momo had already fallen asleep before they could ask her to make more. Izuku decided to take it upon himself to go out that morning and buy another at the store down the road from the school.

But it was already 9:40, and he hadn't been seen yet. The girls exchanged worried glances, wondering if he had gotten lost on the way.

"I'm sure he'll be here."

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"He's not here yet!" Ochaco exclaimed, ruffling her hair frantically. They were two minutes away from starting and they were missing a dancer and a member of the effects team. Peaking behind the curtain, despite the dominance of darkness, they could catch the silhouettes crowding the gymnasium.

The performers were doing their last-second adjustments, while the band was already in place along with the effects team high above where no one could see them. This was supposed to be the time to shake off the last-minute jitters, but everyone was more concerned about their missing classmate.

Just as the tension was about to peak, the doors burst open, and Izuku stumbled in, out of breath and looking disheveled, and had visible wounds on him as if he had been through a scuffle but at least he was dressed in costume.

"I'm here!" he panted.

"Midoriya!" Some of their classmates exclaimed.

"No time for questions, everyone gets in position." Instructed Mina.

Sakura took a deep breath, as the curtains began to open, revealing the class to the crowd, spotlight hot on stage. Before the first chord was even struck the crowd was rowdy with excitement and they had to amplify it with their performance.

Finally, all grew quiet, and that was Katsuki's cue to kick them off the performance as explosively as possible, striking the drums with his quirk in his toe, leaving behind a flash of sparks and smoke that kept all eyes on stage as the music filled the air.

The band hit their instruments with all the power and practice they had, and it showed, while the dancers started to move with the beat. Their hearts pounding with the rhythm of the music. Then the special effects started with Yuga's laser show.

While Sakura danced with her classmates, she felt a strange calm over the exhilaration. Following the dance and song the crowd grew heavier with excitement, Momo released a string of poppers into the audience, and Shouto used his ice. The whole gymnasium looked like it was lit up in dazzling sparkles and mist. Ochaco was then launched into the crowd by Tsuyu to float some people.

From all of this, Sakura finally caught sight of Eri on Mirio's shoulder, her mouth gaping and her eyes wide with the excitement fitting for a child. And for a few minutes that's all there was. The hysteria of joy. Where everyone's worries on stage and in the crowd, were swept away by the music. Even Sakura didn't realize the profound effects of something that had been so trivial in her eyes.

The song ended, and the audience erupted in applause.

The curtain fell, and the class looked at each other, elated and relieved. And now, they could enjoy the rest of the cultural festival.

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After the crowd cleared out, there was a mess of aftermath consisting of ice, confetti, and streamers. Of course, it was up to them to clear it before the next performance which would be by class B. The ice needed to be cleared before it turned into puddles. Everyone came together after the performance to clean up.

Sakura was busy gathering pieces of confetti when she noticed Eri and Mirio coming over. Eri's face had a wide grin as she jumped into Sakura's arms.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Eri called out, her voice filled with excitement. "That was amazing! First, there was a loud scary noise! Then everyone was dancing and flash bam! And-and-

"It was fun huh?"

"Mmm!" Eri nodded as Sakura cupped her cheeks in her hands. It wasn't that long ago, that a smile had been so difficult for her, something that even infants could accomplish. And now, she was showing it more and more each day.

"Eri wanted to see the other stalls and attractions with you," said Mirio.

"I've still got a bit of cleaning to do here, I'll join you as soon as I'm done okay?"

"Okay!" Eri nodded. Mirio then offered to take her to get something sweet to eat for the time being.

As Sakura continued cleaning, she noticed Katsuki walking past her with an unusually satisfied grin on his face. The kind of stretched-out one that made you uneasy.

 "Hey, Katsuki," she called out, "Did you finish melting the ice?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Katsuki scoffed, barely glancing her way. "By the way, some chumps came to bow their heads to our sound. Even fools know when they're beaten."

Sakura paused, realizing he meant some of the students who had been critical of their performance had come to apologize. It was surprising but not as much as Katsuki calmly coming to inform her of this.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to cheer me up with that little tip."

Katsuki just grunted in response, continuing on his way without another word.

'What do know?' Sakura smirked.

"Sakura!" Izuku came rushing up to her, his hands full with a bucket of ice. He was quick to leave as he arrived, after the concert, the teachers called him outside and Izuku returned without explanation then. "I wanted to see Eri and hear if she liked the concert."

"She was beaming ear to ear,"

Izuku smiled but he was disheartened having missed her. Aside from Mirio, he was also harboring a lot of guilt from that time.

"We're going to explore the other stands later, want to join us?" At that he visibly perked, reminding Sakura of a merecat.

"Yes, thank you!"

Just then Sakura pulled her face, her eyebrows arched creating small creases on her forehead. It was an easy facial cue to spot on her. She leaned towards him, invading his bubble. "Um-w-What?"

"So this morning, where were you?"And she swore she heard him whimper as Izuku tried to deny anything but he was easy to read.

Eventually, Izuku caved and told Sakura of the events that followed this morning which almost canceled the entire Cultural festival before it began. When he was coming back from the convenience store, he ran into the Gentle criminal villain and his partner, La Brava. Gentle criminals had a habit of documenting their villainous acts and posting them online. And he intended to do the same that day when he infiltrated U.A. He and Izuku got into a brawl, and although Izuku managed to stop him from being caught out by everyone and saving the festival. But he didn't get out unscathed.

"So you're alright now?"

Izuku nodded, there was a lot more to the story than he had let on, and this was something that gave him a bit of mixed feelings during the capture but Izuku didn't want to trouble Sakura anymore. Even though he was sure she would have some kind of insight to help him.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

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