(PROFESSOR UZUMAKI) HALLE II

One moment Halle had been sitting at the kitchen table while her mum and brothers looked at her with hopeful expressions. The next, she was signing paperwork while a PRT employee explained procedures, expectations, and onboarding schedules in the flat tone of someone who had repeated the same speech a hundred times before.

The whole thing still felt strangely unreal.

Ward.

The word sat awkwardly in her head now that it officially applied to her. It had sounded distant before, something attached to other people in costume on television screens or in interviews after Endbringer fights. Now it was attached to her.

Certified teenage hero.

The thought should have felt exciting, and admittedly, part of it did. But another part felt heavy in a way she could not properly describe because every time she thought about it for too long, another thought pushed its way in right behind it.

Naruto-sensei.

Halle sat quietly in one of the PRT’s waiting rooms while someone went to retrieve another stack of forms, her fingers loosely curled around a paper cup of water she had not touched since it was handed to her. Through the glass wall nearby, she could see agents moving through the building, conversations blending into the background beneath the occasional ringing phone or opening door.

She should have been happy.

Her family certainly was. Her mum had smiled more today than she had in weeks, and her little brother had spent almost the entire drive over asking if she was going to get “cool tech gadgets” and a codename. Even her older brother seemed more relaxed, like some invisible pressure hanging over him and the house had finally eased.

And seeing that had made backing out impossible.

The moment she saw them looking at her like that, proud and relieved all at once, she knew she could not suddenly turn around and say she had changed her mind.

So now she was here, a Ward.

The thought twisted uncomfortably in her chest. It wasn't because she thought the Wards were bad. Most of the heroes she had met had seemed decent enough, if a little busy, and the training opportunities, resources, and support were hard to ignore.

Still, it felt wrong somehow. Naruto had taken them in before any of this; before the attention and before the PRT suddenly decided her class was interesting. He trained them because he wanted to help them grow stronger, more confident, and more capable. He had never asked for anything in return.

And now she had gone behind his back and signed up with the organization that clearly did not trust him.

Halle lowered her gaze toward the untouched water in her hands. It felt uncomfortably close to betrayal.

“You look troubled.”

The voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Halle looked up to find Mr. Calvert standing near the doorway, dressed neatly with a folder tucked beneath one arm. He wore the same easy smile he always seemed to have, calm and approachable without feeling fake about it.

“Oh.” Halle straightened slightly. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“That’s usually a dangerous activity around here,” Calvert said lightly as he stepped into the room. “Mind if I sit?”

She shook her head quickly.

He settled into the chair across from her with an ease that immediately softened some of the tension in the room.

“I know this is probably a lot all at once,” he said. “New responsibilities, new expectations, and a great deal of attention from people you’ve never met before.”

Halle let out a loud breath. “Yeah, it is.”

Calvert nodded sympathetically.

“It gets easier,” he assured her. “Most new Wards feel overwhelmed at first. You’re stepping into a very different world, after all.”

Halle hesitated before speaking again.

“I just…” She glanced down briefly. “I feel weird about it.”

“Joining?”

“A little.” She shifted in her seat. “And the timing, I guess.”

Calvert’s expression remained patient and open.

“You’re worried about your teacher,” he said after a moment.

Halle blinked. “I didn’t—”

“You didn’t have to,” he cut in gently. “You speak very highly of him whenever he comes up.”

Something about the way he said it made her shoulders loosen even more.

“I don’t want him to think I’m abandoning everyone,” she admitted with a whisper. “Or that I don’t appreciate what he’s done for us.”

Calvert was silent for a moment.

“From everything I’ve heard,” he said eventually, “Naruto seems to care a great deal about his students. People like that usually want what’s best for them, even when circumstances change.”

Halle looked at him uncertainly. “You really think so?”

“I do.” He offered her a small smile. “And for what it’s worth, joining the Wards doesn’t erase the connections you already have. It simply means you’re taking on another role as well.”

The knot in Halle’s chest finally eased at that.

It still felt complicated, but less suffocating than before.

“And if things become difficult,” Calvert continued, “or if you ever feel overwhelmed trying to balance everything, you can always come talk to me. That’s part of what I’m here for.”

Halle smiled slightly despite herself. “Thanks, Mr. Calvert.”

“Thomas is fine when we’re off the clock,” he replied easily, rising back to his feet as someone called his name from the hallway. “Though I suppose technically neither of us is off the clock anymore.”

That earned a small laugh from her.

Calvert smiled once more before stepping toward the door.

“Welcome to the Wards, Halle.”

And somehow, hearing it phrased that way made everything feel a little more real.