Flower of two worlds

9.- Love in Another World

Sakura's words took him by surprise, and he felt a lump in his throat. Could he dare to hope to live beyond his expectations?

"Young Sakura," he began, struggling to contain his emotions unsuccessfully. "I'm supposed to be your mentor, and I'm here to help you in this world, but it seems like you've come to help us."

Taking her words as a response and feeling emotional, Sakura rushed to the emaciated All Might and hugged him. With her embrace, she wanted him to feel how grateful she truly was. In a world so different from hers, Midoriya, Recovery, and he were the first people to extend a helping hand, so she felt a special bond with them.

"I won't give up," she said, burying her face in All Might's ribs.

"Thank you," he replied.

From that promise, the correspondence between the pink-haired woman and her master, through Katsuyu, became more frequent, and her free time became more limited. Before dawn, she would rise with Midoriya to run, then they would return for breakfast before heading to the academy. When Midoriya left, she stayed and, in secret, alongside Recovery (with the director's authorization), studied and analyzed All Might's body until she had to rush to attend her medical classes or carry out her hospital rotations. In the evenings, after dispelling the clone she kept in the library, she would study and do homework with Midoriya, and finally, she would take a shower and go to sleep.

It had been an exhausting and frustrating process to find a solution for Naruto and Sasuke's missing limbs, and healing All Might had been just as challenging. However, one day, while exchanging letters with her master, the idea of using Hashirama's cells came to them. For now, she was conducting tests to determine if the cells could be compatible with All Might.

With significant progress in helping her friends and All Might, Sakura indulged herself in a relaxing Sunday morning. She sat at the dining table, enjoying jasmine tea in the company of Mrs. Midoriya. Izuku was on the living room couch, using his weights while listening to their conversation and occasionally chiming in.

"I'm glad to see you're adapting to Japan," Mrs. Midoriya said after taking a sip of her tea. "I was a bit surprised when the academy asked if you could enter the student exchange program, and even more so when I found out that All Might would be your mentor."

Sakura toyed with her cup in her hands. "Yes... There are many differences here compared to Switzerland, and even more so compared to where I used to live," she thought nostalgically about Konoha. "Although there are also similarities, I used to live in a more conservative place where technology isn't as advanced as it is here."

"That's true, especially the culture," Mrs. Midoriya said as she placed a hand on her cheek and chuckled playfully. "I still remember when Izuku would turn red when you called him by his name."

"M-Mom," he stammered, leaving what he was doing to join the conversation, visibly embarrassed. "It's just that... Well, you know... It's not common to call someone by their name here... Unless you're close."

The two women laughed upon hearing his excuse, which made Izuku blush even more, like a ripe tomato.

"In my home, we address each other by our names unless you're the head of a family. I was very surprised when I came here" Sakura continued, laughing as she remembered her first day of classes. "I even remember that at school, everyone was surprised and blushing when I called them by their names and asked them to call me by mine. At least now, everyone seems to have gotten used to it."

Midoriya remembered that incident perfectly, which had left most, if not all, very surprised. Even the teachers were astonished, although she added the honorific "sensei" to address them. In the end, to adapt to Japanese culture, she only called her teachers and adults by their last names.