Naruto slaps another chaser's front horse's legs, causing them to trip painfully. Dark Shadow gleefully darting around and stealing headbands even though Naruto is moving as fast as the other two can keep up. Above him, Hinata is clawing at lines that only she can see, 'killing' emitter's Quirks before they can touch their team. Good girl. He's going to buy he loads of cinnamon rolls after this. Although his team is focusing on defense, he is also giving Dark Shadow full reign to catch headbands whenever people tries to clash with his team.

Mashirao comments, "Your tails' have a longer reach than mine,"

Naruto swivels one ear at him, "What? You can't stretch them?"

Mashirao awkwardly smiles, "W-well...my tail is just like my arm. My Quirk is rather lame, isn't it?"

Naruto slaps another team, tripping the horse and causing the rider to fall off their perch as a result, and since he doesn't aim for the rider specifically and it is the fault of their imbalance, he's still inside the rule of the game, "Not really. I think it's cool that you get to go this far even with just an extra limb. It means you're strong,"

Tokoyami hums, as Dark Shadow steals yet another contender's headband, "I am worried about my own body not being strong enough. Your mentioning that I relied too much on Dark Shadow have been plaguing my mind,"

Naruto whips his tail before Shoto's ice can get any closer while Hinata scratches at the projectiles thrown at her, "That's because I think that if there is someone out there that can control shadow, you might be without any offense and defense. So training your own physical strength could help counter that kind of scene," He's thinking of what Shikamaru will do with Tokoyami's ability. Would the lazy Nara be able to control Dark Shadow though linking his shadow with him? In a world of Quirk, that is a possible scenario. He adds, "Better safe than sorry, I say,"

Hinata scratches at more people coming for them, one kid yelping in pain at the simple glancing of her nails, a deep bruise blooming over their hand. She then reports, "It seems that they are attacking the other three more," She then adds, "Although Todoroki is coming again,"

Naruto hums, "Right. Hinata, you just make sure that his hands stay with him," He takes note of Denki, "He will probably use taser's ability with his own as conduit so kangaroo, you make sure to break any icy formation coming for us. Crow, you bring back your buddy and keep him close...he's not good with this much sun, is he?"

Tokoyami blinks, "How did you...?"

Naruto wraps his tails around their waists and rushes towards the icy wall that Shoto had built to create an arena of just himself and trapping anyone else with him, "I figure that since you are all about shadow, without shades, you have your limitation," Because crow is a lot like the Nara clan. He remember Shikamaru's fight in the Chuunin Exam and how much his ability relies on the shadows, "And taser will probably hurt buddy since he's sparkly too,"

Hinata calls out, "Tenya-!"

Naruto can see that the boy are speeding up. Had he not trained his eyes to fight Shinobi, he would have missed it. But Naruto is not a normal kid with an overpowered Quirk. After coming to that world, he notice that his mind is faster than his body but not his father's Quirk. No. His experience from his past life had followed him but his body is lagging because it lacked training. So he have been training his whole life to keep up with his mental reflex and reaction time. By the time he's 15, his mind and body have synchronized enough that he moves at the same time his mind registers Tenya's speeding up.

His Vice President missed him by a few millimeter and that is enough to keep his crown. He then starts running with Tenya giving chase. His body starts to glow and he hears Mashirao gasping, "Warm..."

He apologize to Dark Shadow, "Sorry, buddy. But this is a battle of speed,"

Tokoyami hums, "We understand,"

Shoto tries to freeze the ground again but Naruto simply speeds up faster than his ice can keep up. He can hear Present Mic whistling, //That's Uzumaki the Yellow Flash for you! No wonder he chose to be a horse instead of the rider! This is a battle of defense and speed for him! He is literally carrying his team! And we have the countdown counting...1 minute...50 seconds...40...30...20...10...CAVALRY BATTLE ENDS!!!//

Naruto skids to a stop, his team in his tails as he looks at an out of breath Tenya with a scowling Shoto. Momo and Denki are also gasping from the chase, their legs trembling. Upon making sure that the siren have sounded to signal the end, he slowly lets Hinata down. He then checks on his team, "You guys alright? Sorry about the speed. Tenya's new speed is really something else," He calls to Tenya, "Good work, Tenya!! As expected of an Iida!" He give the four eyes a thumbs up and a proud grin.

Tenya makes his way to Naruto, "H-how...how did you get so fast?"

Naruto points at the sun, "The day is just set up against you. You might have a chance at night though in terms of speed," He pats the boy's shoulder, "But that was really something else. You're really chasing me!" He laughs, "You gave it your all didn't you? I bet your brother must be proud of you, dattebayo!"

Tenya blushes, "I still fail at catching you,"

Naruto shakes his head, "What is important is that you didn't just give up and keep giving your Plus Ultra,"

Present Mic calls out the result, //Remarkable game play by team Hyuuga! Although it is really Uzumaki's, the fact that he chose to be the horse and using the lightest team member as the rider speak a lot about his strategic thinking! That said, 1st place is still Uzumaki!! He's not bluffing folks! He's really is sitting on a throne!! Coming in 2nd is team Todoroki!! Exploding in 3rd is team Bakugo!! And somehow making it to number 4 is team Midoriya!! Our top 4 will move on to the final phase!! After lunch, that is!//

Naruto stretches his body, grinning as his tail wags happily behind him, "Good work, everybody! That was a fun chase! Reminds me of good old time, dattebayo!" He then looks at his team, "Want to go grab lunch?"

"Uzumaki!"

Naruto sighs and looks to see candy coming at him, "What's up candy cane?"

Shoto frowns, "I need to talk with you...privately,"

Naruto hums before looking at Hinata, "Can you help get me some food from the festival stalls? I'll listen to what he have to say,"

Hinata stares at Shoto before saying to Naruto, "Don't be late,"

Naruto smiles and pats her head, causing her to blush, "Yeah, sure!"

After that, he follows Shoto to a secluded place. He notice that most of the others are already grouping to get lunch. He notice the annoying one that Itsuka from 1-B was always complaining about watching him with a dissatisfied twist on his lips. He also the dissatisfied look of sleepy glaring at him. Naruto simply shrugs them all off his back like water off a duck's. He do wonder what kind of strategy Izuku use to get to number 4. Had he been number 1, he will have no choice but to play defend and not many people can handle the pressure. Even Mashirao, despite showing some degree of confidence to Naruto's strategy, was a little wary. And the reason Naruto didn't choose Izuku is because he wants Izuku to work on his own strength.

Alas, in the chaos, Naruto can only focus on his own team and can't look at Izuku's.

Naruto and Shot ends up in one of the stadium's corridor and Naruto jokes, "Are you taking me out here?"

Shoto frowns, "No...that's villainous, not heroic,"

Naruto shrugs, "All's fair in love and war, candy cane. Now," He leans against the way, relaxed and casual, "Who got your boxer in a twist?"

Shoto stares at him, his fists clenching, "I came across Midoriya. The pressure that came from his reminded me of All Might. You and him are close. Is he All Might illegitimate kid?"

Naruto blinks, "What...how in the world did you come to that conclusion?"

Shoto explains, "All Might shows an unusual amount of interest in him. Even during school, he was seen talking to Midoriya a lot in the privacy of his office. And then...the pressure that I experienced up close to All Might's battle during the USJ. Midoriya exudes a similar kind of pressure during the Cavalry Battle. Even if it's just to keep his own points to himself from others, even for a just a moment, that was the impression I get from him,"

So Izuku is really stepping into the role that Yagi have given him. That's good. The boy is learning to race instead of just chasing. Hopefully he'll keep this forward momentum.

Naruto smiles, "He's not. His father was a jerk who abandoned his family due to some minor inconvenience. I'm his neighbor so I would know if All Might's his unknown sperm donor or something. But unfortunately for broccoli, he's not. Otherwise, he won't shut up about it. Not that is makes a difference. He still won't shut up about All Might if he can, that obsessive otaku," He then asks, "So what's with the weird interest?"

Shoto hums, a little skeptical by Naruto's denial but Naruto says nothing more about the matter. Shoto then says, "You told me that I should give my everything. But there's a reason I won't. My Dad...Endeavor...he's a powerful bastard who only ever thought of beating All Might. Nothing else matter to him other that knocking All Might off his Number 1 spot. But he soon learn that he can't do it on his own so...he came up with a brilliant plan," He spats out the words before looking at Naruto, "Uzumaki...have you heard about Quirk marriages?"

Naruto blinks, remembering that he had once read about it, "Isn't that illegal? Since it became such a big problem during the 3rd and 4th generation of Quirk users,"

Shoto snorts, "The older generation will choose a partner and force them into marriage for the sole purpose of producing stronger version of their Quirks. Not that it mattered to him. Using his wealth and fame, he convinced my mother's family to agree to a Quirk marriage all so that he can get his hand on her Quirk. He created me and raised me all for the sole reason of overcoming All Might. Just to fulfill his ambition," He sneers, flashing his teeth in a primal show of anger and hate, "I hate it. I hate him! To be used as nothing more than just a tool for his ambition! Worse of all, there is not a single memory I can recall where my mother isn't crying. She..." He touches the scar on his face, "Said that she can't stand looking at the left side of my face and threw scalding water at it just to make look less like him,"

Naruto frowns. It made him think of Gaara. Though make that without Shukaku. Had Gaara been more sane, would he be like Shoto? And had Hiruzen been less humane, Naruto would have probably been trained by Danzo, the fucker. He is also reminded of Orochimaru and how he lured children to follow him all so that he can get his so called immortality through them. Adults who use children for their ambitions are the worst!

Shoto continues, "That's why...not using my left side, the side that resembles him the most, is my way of exacting vengeance on him. I will deny his ambition. If I reach the top without using his Quirk, then I will have denied him everything!"

Naruto stares at him before saying, "But you will never defeat me like that,"

Shoto glares at him, "Didn't you hear what I just said?!"

Naruto sighs, "I did and it sucks. Being seen as nothing more than a weapon of an ambition that is not even yours...it sucks," He then glares back at him, "But doing it this way will just keep that chain and collar he put on you intact! Don't you get it? You keep calling that his Quirk! But you!" He pokes the boy's chest, "You are the one wielding it! And as long as you can't separate your own abilities from his just because he made up half of you, you will never break free of him!" He stresses, "And as long as you don't break free of him, even if you deny him his ambition, you will still belong to him. Because ultimately in your head, you are still his!"

Shoto stares at him, his face paling and his eyes red. He then glares, "Then what am I supposed to do?!"

Naruto grabs his shoulder, "Come at me with everything! Everything that is you! Shove it to his face and tell him fuck you! All this is yours! Not his! He can feel all the pride he wants when you make it to the top but ultimately you are no longer his! Because you will be at the top on your own term! By your own ambition! Break free, Todoroki Shoto! Your blood, your Quirk, are all yours!!"

Shoto staggers back at the force of Naruto's words. He can feel something in him trembling, but not in fear. Something in him is fighting back. Something he thought he knew how it felt. But this is difference. This is...

Naruto pulls away, tightening his fist, "So what if he made you? So what if he trained you? He doesn't own you. You are your own hero, Shoto! You make your own path and you follow your own ambition! And you are not chasing All Might! You're chasing me! And the only way you could keep up with me is to give it your everything! Because let me tell you, you're only a weapon when you let yourself be controlled! But you're not a weapon, you are a person! So fucking live like one!"

Shoto gasps, pulling away. This pressure Naruto is putting on him feels like Endeavor's but at the same time, it feels different. Like...a cage door that have been torn open. Like he just tore down a cage that Shoto doesn't even know he's in. But...

Naruto starts to move away, "Shoto, come at me with everything. Own it. So that when you look at yourself in the mirror, you can say that you give it everything. Because I'm not going to stay static in place. I'm going to keep climbing higher and higher. Regardless of who is at the top, they don't matter to me. Because I'm not looking to be the Number 1 Pro-Hero. I'm going to reach that horizon beyond that list. That list will not chain me or ground me. And unless you start thinking like that too, you will never reach me,"

The only one stopping him from stepping into the sun is Shoto himself. He can only listen with trembling heart at the fox leave for lunch. He puts a trembling hand around his neck, thinking about what Naruto is saying. The things he have been planning...will not free him...

How naive.

Meanwhile, Naruto walks to a bush and harvests out a broccoli like a stray cat. Izuku looks at him and awkwardly greets him, "H-hey...ugh...how unusual to meet like this...?"

Naruto sighs and drops him, "You heard everything?"

Izuku gulps, "I saw him taking you away so I followed..."

Naruto hums, "You and that bomb both,"

Izuku blinks, "Eh? Kacchan's here?" Seeing that Naruto is not falling to his attempt to change subject, Izuku fidgets, "Y-yeah...I...never thought that someone like Endeavor could do something so...illegal,"

Naruto sniffs, "Inhuman, more like," He clicks his tongue, "Shoto will need to break away from his father's shadow on his own. There's nothing more I can do to help him,"

Izuku stares at him, "That was to help him?!"

Naruto shrugs, "He's pure. Candy cane, I mean. But he's focused on the wrong thing. At the rate he's going, he'll just fall through the same rabbit hole his bastard sperm donor is already in,"

He never liked Endeavor. All the nice things people said about him was all his sidekicks doing. As a Pro-Hero, he might be great. But as a human being, he's a complete piece of shit. He remind Naruto badly of Rasa and Shoto is just like Gaara, just less murder happy. It also remind him of himself. Of his mother. Of every Jinchuuriki that was ever made. The world he left, the work he left, was one where no children ever have to be in his and Gaara's shoes, in Sai's shoes, in Sasuke's shoes, never!

To think that something like that is happening in this world where he can't do anything about...

The red tip of his tail darkens, "I fucking hate that bastard,"

"Naruto-kun?"

Her voice breaks him out of his simmering fury and Naruto looks up to see Hinata holding a packed food in her hands along with some drinks. She tilts her head and asks, "Are you okay?"

Naruto smiles and reaches around her into a surprising hug. He leans against her shoulder, almost making her stumble from their height difference, "Yeah...I'm better now,"

"I-i-is that s-s-so? T-then! P-p-please have s-some f-f-f-f-food! Lunch! Yes! L-lunch! You need to eat lunch!"

He hides a grin at her cute reaction to being hugged by him. But just to be safe, he asks, "Promise not to faint when I let go?"

"Y-ye-th!" She bit her tongue, "Ouh..."

He pulls back but keeps his hands on her shoulders, looking at her red face and swirling eyes. She is truly fighting her natural need to faint. He can't help but find her cute. After a few deep breaths, she finally calm down and hands him a paper bento, "H-here. B-beef rice bowl...a-and m-matcha latte w-with red b-beans!"

He accepts the food from her before asking, "How much did I owe you?"

She shakes her head, "N-no! I...it's for you f-from me!"

Naruto blinks. If before he have been wondering if she's carrying a torch for him, at this moment he is certain. He grabs her red tipped hand and pulls her to one of the many picnic tables situated around the school near their stadium. As he puts down the food, he thought about the next step.

No more regret, that was what he promised.

Whether this is her or not, he never wants to let go a chance if he can help it. But is it the right thing? If she is not her, will it be right to pursue her? What if he just like her for their similarity? And what about Hinata? Will it be fair to pursue her while searching for the ghost of someone else?

"Naruto-kun? Are you going to eat? We don't have much time, you know?"

He blinks and looks at her with a smile, "Y-yeah! You're right, Hinata!"

In the end, he decides to put aside his dilemma and wait to be sure instead. One thing he learned from Sakura and the others through watching them is that love cannot be forced. But...he doesn't want to wait too long either. Because putting aside matters of the heart was the reason he lost her in the first place. She didn't even know...

After lunch, he looks around and notice something. Turning the others, he asks, "Where are the girls?"

Denki snickers and Naruto frowns at the noise. He looks at Naruto and gives him a thumbs up, "Oh. You're going to love what they have in store!"

Naruto deadpans, "For obvious reasons, I do not believe that,"

Present Mic proudly presents, //This is still a sports festival so we have prepared some recreational activities for all of our participants! We have even shipped cheerleaders from America to get you pumped up...uh...wait. What's this?//

Aizawa's drawl echoes, //What are they doing?//

Naruto have a bad feeling.

Present Mic gasps, //CLASS A?!! WHY?!!!//

Naruto growls as he looks at the perpetrator, "Taser..."

Denki laughs nervously as he gives Naruto two thumbs up, "At least they make an impression?"

Naruto shakes his head, "I'm not shielding you when they come for your balls...and not in the pleasant way,"

Denki gulps, "Shit...I didn't think that far,"

Naruto sighs, "Of course you didn't,"

Present Mic immediately improvise, //I hope everyone is enjoying this little recreational competition!//

As they girls decides to just dance and enjoy themselves, much to the merriment of the American Cheerleaders, Naruto takes out his phone and snaps a few photos of Hinata in her cheerleading costume. Yep. She's the biggest girl in class alright. But enlarging the photo to focus on her face, she is happily smiling as she easily follows the real cheerleaders' movements. Cute.

Eijiro, Sero, and Denki looks over his shoulders. Taking note of the photo he just snapped of Hinata. For all his scolding Denki about tricking the girls into an uncomfortable situation, he is still taking advantage of it. This gives the boys that Naruto is just a closet pervert.

Denki leers, "Heh...so that's why she's your type,"

Naruto shushes him, "Shut up! She's cute, okay?" He smiles, something he can't help himself in, "Especially when she stammers and tries her best to get her point across. Have you seen her nervous tic? She's so cute I could just die, dattebayo," He could go on and on about why Hinata's the cutest but he shuts his mouth before he gets carried away and embarrasses her.

Sero snorts in amusement, "So Hinata's your Kryptonite?"

Naruto blushes, "...not a word to her,"

Izuku points out, "I don't think we have to, Naruto. You're pretty obvious,"

Naruto sighs as he drops his head, "Damn it. Izuku, if you say anything, I'll tell Ochaco that you like her,"

Izuku blushes, "P-please don't! I don't think I'm ready for that step!"

Naruto grins sadistically, "Then win against the Goddess of Rot,"

Izuku cries, "Now you're just being plain evil, Naruto! I hate Malenia!! I getting nightmares about her!!!"