Chapter 79: The bell test part 4

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The monitor room was buzzing with discussion after witnessing the latest escapades of Sakura's training. Toshinori sat in his chair, rubbing his chin with bony fingers. "I have to admit, I've seen plenty of talent over the years, but this girl might be one of the most remarkable."

Sakura seemed to have a talent for reading her opponent's moves, and eventually understanding their entire fighting system.

Shouta crossed his arms, "Bakugou has improved since the Sports Festival. His reflexes are sharper and his control over his quirk has only grown, but even so, it's not hard to see Haruno was toying with him,"

"Do you think that means you're other students are behind Shouta?" Hizashi asked in a playful tone. Shouta wouldn't outright admit this, but his current class went further than any other first-year group he taught. Battling villains, getting real experience with the internships, and work studies, they had been taken from point A to point E but even so, he'd put Sakura at point Y.

"Well, well, Shouta," Hizashi teased, nudging his old friend. "That's quite the praise for your student. Proud of how she's turning out under your watchful eye?"

Aizawa sighed, his usual deadpan tone carrying a hint of exasperation. "I can't take credit for anything regarding that girl. It's clear her skills were ingrained long before she came to U.A."

If anything she was just polishing and sharpening the tools she already held and it wasn't with any of the equipment the teachers here provided. Sakura had been absent-minded or dismissive in most of their lessons and had established her own foundation.

Nezu, who was perched on a higher seat, sipping his cup of tea commented, "I agree. Haruon's aptitude for combat goes far beyond what we can attribute to her quirk or our hero training. Her skills suggest something far more rigorous and perhaps even dangerous,"

"What does that mean sir?" asked Midnight. "Do you believe she was being prepped as a hero since middle school?"

No one could see Nezu's eyes grow darker, but they felt it. "It's a possibility but I have another theory."

Everyone's ears turned their attention to the principal. A theory by any other would've been just that, speculation and calculation based on little snippets of data to create a distorted image. But with Nezu, it was like taking a picture and blowing it up in high definition for all to see the details. That was how accurate his theories were.

"Hero training, even at its most intense, rarely results in this kind of hypersensitivity, and combat awareness. It's something seasoned heroes obtain from years of experience not just regular training regimens."

"So what are you thinking sir?" Toshinori asked, lacing his fingers together. Izuku had shared in their last meeting how Sakura agreed to train him, and he had been excited to converse about the entire layout in unnecessary detail. However Toshinori found that it wasn't her methods that were impressive, but the way she expressed them to Izuku, who was grasping real scenario concepts.

"Plenty of students can grow with experience," argued Sekijiro, curving his mouth downward. Perhaps displeased by all this praise that the class A's rep was receiving. She had made herself the center of events. He assumed that observing her would clarify what made this girl stand out and if there was truly anything to admire. His class might not have stepped in the same ring as villains yet, but they had focused on their training wholeheartedly as opposed to class A. The results of that effort were going to be shown off when they started attending hero training together and participating.

"Look at the factors, she has no familial or other emotional connections, she's adept at fending for herself, she's so battle-conscious that her sixth instinct is sharper than animals, and she is unmoving at the concept of dying. If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone was molding this girl into a living weapon,"

It wasn't too far out of an idea, Shouto Todoroki had endured something similar coming from his background. Nezu knew it took more than raw talent to face down an enemy with the intent to kill and remain steadfast. That's why they had internships and work studies. But Nezu could only theorize how Sakura could've been brought to this pristine condition. If he thought of the process as refinding a gem, taking it from rough to radiant, a student to hero. But while they were trying to refine diamonds. Someone had refined an emerald. Rarer and harder to find, mine, cut buff, and polish.

"That's a bit extreme for a theory don't you think?" Toshinori said. "What you're suggesting sir is a bit…."

Even for Nezu, this theory was a bit far out there for them to see properly and accept as they did with his others. Like when he assumed there may be a spy amongst them, they were all brought to bring of cautiousness, even though it was nothing more than a theory.

"It's also quite a gruesome thought," said Midnight.

Nezu waved his paw at them, "It's just a theory and not one I'm inclined to conclude. Either way, I don't believe Haruno harbors any ill intentions, otherwise she wouldn't have risked her life for her classmates. But it's the way she's risked it, that concerns me. I do not know anyone who is that unafraid of dying, without having faced death many times. And as good as she is, that can't all be talent, so it's safe to conclude she had a teacher. And this teacher might have taught a different doctrine. It would explain why she's so opposed to heroes' values. Her stance on the idea of heroism itself is... unorthodox."

Toshinori tilted his head, intrigued. "Unorthodox how?"

Nezu took a sip of his tea before continuing. "It's subtle, but based on my observations. Haruno doesn't seem to hold the same ideals most students do about being a hero. She fights efficiently, almost coldly, and prioritizes strategy over compassion or valor. It's as if heroism is incidental to her goals rather than the foundation of them. That said, this is all speculation. But I do wonder something…What does a child have to endure that she can freely put her life at risk for others?"

..

..

..

"I can't believe Bakgou just took off without us!" Denki exclaimed, huffing as he felt his sweat run along his arms through his leather jacket.

"Really? Cause I'm surprised he stuck around as long as he did. You know he's got some vendetta against Sakura since day one," Hanta swung across the trees, using his tape from his elbows to latch on and keep himself above the ground, making for a much smoother commute compared to his classmates who were following closely behind. "He wants to get to her first,"

The way he would describe their relationship, Sakura was playing 4d chess with him and Katsuki was always flipping the board over.

"But we just talked about her setting up traps in the forest,"

"That was just a theory though," said Mezo, glancing back at Denki. He didn't know how valid it was, and it didn't seem to match with Haruno's persona, but at this point, it would be foolish to rule anything out when she didn't tell them much about this training until the day. If their task was to get the bell from her, then it was Sakura's to ensure she kept it from them through whatever means. And since she was outnumbered. Traps were a good solution to passively delay them from reaching their goal.

Denki stuck out his bottom lip, remembering how badly his practical against Nezu had gone when he was paired with Mina. Nezu didn't have to take his finger off the crane he was controlling and knocked down holdings to create amazing butterfly effects that ran in the direction he wanted. Denki and Mina didn't even get to see him.

He hoped it wasn't going to be like that again.

"Hey if Sakura did set traps all over the forest, what are the odds that we'll even fall into it? This place is still pretty big, does it really matter how much time she had to set it up?" Hanta asked, looking back at Mezo for the answer.

"I'm not sure, but if she did set traps we need to warn the others," Just as he spoke, Denki slipped rather he tripped over something. In the forest, it was easy to get caught on the roots of trees that stuck out like bullies waiting to make you fall over. However, it wasn't an upstanding root this time but a wire. Mezo managed to run over it without noticing but Denki was not that fortunate.

But they would soon find out it didn't matter.

Hanta was actually the first in line of danger, as a log came hurling through the air on its side like a swing. He bent out his elbow and released a strip of tape at a lower altitude to pull himself down and avoid getting hit.

"LOOK OUT BELOW,"

Denki cried in alarm stopping in his tracks and wrapping his head in his arms as if that would be enough to avoid damage but then he didn't feel the force him him. When he peeked behind his arms, he saw Mezo standing in front of him, having grown several arms from his tentacles, using his quirk to strengthen his body and catch the unexpected throw.

Losing feeling in his legs, Denki sunk onto them. "What the heck!?"

"You guys alright?" Hanta asked swinging down at them.

"We're alive," Denki breathed out heavily, spluttering as he looked at the size of the log. "Seriously! She's trying to kill us!"

"The logs hollow," Mezo said.

"What difference does that make!?" It still would've hurt if it hit its mark and knocked them out or worse. Denki felt as if he had stepped into a pot of slow boiling water, eventually, he was going to start feeling the heat. 

Before Mezo could answer, a distant scream echoed through the trees, the wind bristled the branches, and birds flew from where they nested in fright.

..

..

..

A few minutes earlier….

The forest blurred as Mashirao gave chase, his tail snapping across the branches to propel him forward, the sheer strength enough to lift his entire body weight and swing him across the trees. His eyes fixed on the back of red and pink. Sakura maneuvered through the forest staying in his line of sight as she weaved her way through even the most complex structure of foliage. It had been by chance that he saw her in the trees, and tracked after her. Of course, she saw him coming and took off.

Even though he was focused on the hunt, it didn't go unnoticed how silently she moved through the trees, her landing on the trees was far more elegant than she let on, with barely a whisper of the branches where there should've been screams.

"You're putting a lot of strain on your tail just to keep up," Sakura called, glancing behind her.

"Doesn't matter as long as I catch you!"

"If you catch me," She taunted and that just pushed Mashirao to force his tail to spring himself forward, putting more force due to aggression, he felt his muscles groan but he propelled forward. Passing any possible landing areas and heading right for the target. But Sakura wasn't concentrated on what was happening behind her anymore.

They were officially interrupted.

A shadow loomed overhead, a clawed appendage swiped at Sakura from the side, she twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the hit. Dark Shadow appeared from the front, but when Sakura headed for the ground, she found Eijiro coming to her from the side with Sato.

"Perfect timing. We've got her surrounded now." Mashirao landed with Fumikage emerging, creating a four-corner net around Sakura.

Sakura straightened, brushing off a stray leaf from her shoulder. "Four against one, huh? Think that'll work in your favor?"

"Don't underestimate us," Fumikage said, his tone steady but firm. "We're not letting you get away this time."

The bell chimed again as Sakura shifted her stance, her feet spreading apart on the ground dragging the dirt under it ever so slightly. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

The four students tensed, preparing to close in. And then she moved.

Sakura had coiled in like a snake on the verge of striking, her foot skimming the ground as she swept low, forcing Eijiro to block her feint. As his arms came up, she twisted her body, using the momentum to kick off Sato's shoulder and launch herself into the air.

"Stop her!" Mashirao shouted, his tail lashing out, but Sakura caught it mid-swing, using it as leverage to flip over him.

Dark Shadow lunged, claws extended, but Sakura sidestepped the attack. Her foot connected with the side of a tree, propelling her backward into a clearing where she skidded to a stop.

"Still too slow," 

Eijiro lunged at her, his hardening activated but he was obviously keeping to the defense, his palms wide open meaning only to swipe the bell from Sakura, his hardening activated so he would be less deterred by her super strength.

Sakura swirled merely inches away from his hands, stepping back without so much as a glance behind her.

"I see what you're doing, are you afraid to throw a punch?"

Eijiro straightened, his expression unwavering as he replied, "Hitting a girl just isn't manly."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Manly, huh?" she repeated, tapping her chin mockingly. "I don't know if I should agree with that statement... or punch you just for saying it."

Eijiro blinked, startled by her bluntness, but before he could respond, Sakura's expression turned serious. "Listen," she said, her voice firm. "One day, you might not have the privilege to hold onto those moral standards. What will you do then?"

That gave him pause in his onslaught, "What? I don't get it," He then moved again, his hands swiping at the obvious target while Sakura continued to evade. The other three were standing out in the distance, waiting for their chance to strike, but they noticed Sakura's eyes, shifting away from Eijirio to them, and that had the boy taking a step back.

Sato gathered the strength to step forward though. He appeared from behind, his large frame moving swiftly to grab Sakura while she was distracted. Without turning, Sakura caught his wrist mid-motion, her grip like a vice. With a swift, almost casual movement, she spun and hurled Sato straight into Eijiro. The two boys traveled in the air for a bit before they crashed together, slamming into a nearby tree with enough force to crack its trunk. Splinters flew, and the tree groaned under the impact before it toppled over.

Dusting off her hands, Sakura turned back to them, "An enemy is an enemy. Regardless of their gender, age, or whatever ideals they're clinging to. You hesitate, and you lose. Simple as that."

Eijiro groaned, pulling himself up with some difficulty as he shifted passed Sato, who was having a harder time collecting himself as he didn't have the same shell as his red-haired classmates.

"I know I'm not as strong as Bakugou or Todoroki. I'm slower compared to Iida. My defense can even be broken if someone's strong enough—like you." Eijiro wiped his chin of sweat that gathered, his eyes burning, "But I'm not giving up on what I believe! I know I wasn't much help during the raid on Shie Hassaikai. That's why I'm pushing myself, trying to learn everything I can from training with you—because you're the best. But even so... I just can't raise a hand against you."

Sakura's gaze did not soften, the same way Tsunade would not when she was training her. "You're strong. Your defense is solid, and you've got heart—that's more than most can say. But you're still doubting yourself. That doubt. It's going to hold you back more than anything else ever will. Mindset sometimes has a greater impact on a battle than power itself. Confidence, determination, and strategy—those are what make the difference."

She turned her gaze behind her, as Mashirao and Fumikage came up behind. "Hope you don't mind if we cut in!"

The two went to strike in tandem, Dark shadows inky mass covered the distance between them again.

"I'm getting disappointed by these repeat attacks," Sakura bounced on the balls of her feet, keeping the quirk away from the bell. Mashirao then appeared from the side, and she understood that Fumikage was being used as a diversion. Whether or not they thought about this together was unlikely.

Mashirao lashed out his tail, trying to keep his strikes quick and relentless. Sakura found it rather bold that he would even try close quarters with her when he didn't have the best defense against her punches. "I've got an idea of how you fight now," he said between breaths. "I saw what you did back at the USJ. I know keeping you under constant pressure—keeping you on your toes—is the best strategy!"

Sakura ducked under Dark Shadow's swipe, her sharp gaze flicking toward Mashirao as she evaded his tail once again.

 "Oh?" she replied coolly, sidestepping. "So you think you've got me figured out, huh?"

Mashirao's confidence faltered when he saw that nothing had changed in Sakura's persona even as they continued to attack her. "It's a solid plan," She admitted. "But here's the thing—you two may be attacking at the same time, but you're still fighting individually."

"W-What?" Mashirao muttered. He couldn't make sense of the meaning behind her words. Eijiro and Sato had picked themselves up and were rushing in to attack as well. Closing the gap, in four directions. Even then, Sakura did not sway or bend.

"That's why this is so easy."

Before they could react, Sakura made her move. Fumikage realizing that the other three were closing the distance, ordered Dark Shadow to strike immediately for the bell. When he moved forward, that's when Sakura kicked off the ground, by putting a hand on Dark Shadow's head and lifting off with a slant in her body. Holding a position, with her body curled, knees to her chest, muscles coiled. She then twisted her body in a full 360-degree rotation, her legs swinging outward like a whip in a perfect, fluid arc. And she felt that whip make contact with three targets, kicks that sent the boys spiraling as they flew through the air.

They crashed into the ground, skidding across the dirt and leaves, their costumes scratched and torn with the first layer of their skin. Mashirao groaned as he pushed himself up, wincing as he brushed bits of costume material off his arm. Fumikage knelt nearby, Dark Shadow retreating slightly, its form flickering in frustration.

Eijiro coughed as he rolled onto his side, shaking off the impact first. "That... that was insane,"

When he looked though, Sakura wasn't in sight. He heard shuffling and saw her back, as she ran. He gathered himself quickly and took chase, he heard Mashirao and Sato also moving but he kept his eyes on the target.

If they lost her now, it would be difficult to find her again.

Sakura took to the trees.

"You won't escape!" She heard Fumikage call, a little too close. She glanced back and saw him flying towards her. He was using Dark Shadow, a figure that could float, to carry him, the source of the quirk.

"Interesting, who taught you that?"

"My work studies with Hawks," Fumikage saw her face sour before she turned back.

The four were able to keep trailing after Sakura until they came to a small clearing. She didn't stay around for long though, and continued to rush to the other side of the forest, vanishing into the trees and out of everyone's sight.

Sato, Mashirao, and Eijiro were so focused on keeping their heads raised, that they failed to notice the grounds until it was too late. They stepped heavy, it cracked beneath their feet and opened swallowing the three. Fumikage stopped when he saw them collapsing into the hole.

"What?"

It was then he understood. Sakura had walked them into a trap.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Remember to stay strong! I'll see you soon!

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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: (BMAC MEMBER)

- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: exclusive chapters (Sneak peek on Tumblr)

-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)

- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (79, 80, 81)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter ( 33,34, 35)

-Crossroads of Fate chapter 24, 25, 26, 27

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 30, 31, 32. 33, 34

-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6

-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi

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