"Are you sure that this is the right decision?" Aizawa's not typically one to question Nezu's decisions, but this is a rare case.
Nezu smiles serenely at Aizawa and takes another sip of his tea before murmuring, "I thought that you, of all people, would understand not to weigh the sins of the father against the son."
"This isn't about his father," Aizawa frowns, "This is about him being Vongola. This is about..." he gestures, "This is about him being accepted into U.A. based on Reborn's recommendation."
"Reborn is a pro hero as well, is he not?"
"He's different."
"It does not change what he is," Nezu smiled, "If the boy wants to join U.A. and he has a recommendation, we ought to give him a chance, don't you think? You're the one who always goes on about refusing to give up on someone unless they have zero potential, aren't you?"
Aizawa sighed, "As long as you think it's safe to take in the Vongola Decimo as a student. I thought that line was very... peculiar... about how to train their successors?"
"Indeed," Nezu laughed, "It is certainly interesting to have a hero name be passed down like this. And all the heroes bearing the name Vongola die young before passing it on, so perhaps it is better that they don't teach such habits to the tenth successor of the name."
Aizawa picked at his nails, frowning.
"You just don't want to teach a student with such high chances of dying before reaching thirty," Nezu pat Aizawa's hand. "But it will be okay. You are a good teacher, I'm sure you will prevent it from happening."
Aizawa narrowed his eyes, "Good teaching won't stall his death forever. Vongola's hero duty is... unique."
"True," Nezu finished his tea, "But it is still a hero's duty to deal with the underground world. Each Vongola knew that."
Aizawa shook his head and sighed.
A mantle passed down to it's tenth successor, Vongola, the hero that dealt with the mafia and yakuza. And now he had to deal with teaching the tenth.
Ridiculous.
"I don't care who you are, or who your family is," he eyed the three that had come in based on recommendations, "If you have zero potential, I will expel you."
Sawada looked hopeful.
And then.
And then.
The kid goes and gets the lowest marks. Not by far. But by a margin.
A second slower on the last race, eyes sharp like he knows what he's doing. The ball a meter too close.
He uses his quirk, sometimes, even, as though it will prevent Aizawa from playing his game.
"Sawada," Aizawa barks, "Do you want to get expelled?"
Sawada looked at his feet and shifted awkwardly.
Aizawa sighed and pinched his temples, "Why did you come to U.A. if you're just going to get expelled on the first day?"
Sawada shifts again, and when Aizawa raises his eyebrows, he mumbles, "Reborn made me do it."
Aizawa crosses his arms over his chest, "Is it that you don't want me to keep teaching you? You think that Reborn can teach you better than I can?"
"No, of course not!" Sawada waves his arms in front of his face and looks away, "I, just, I don't want to be a hero."
Aizawa blinks.
Okay.
That was... not the answer that he had been expecting.
"You don't?" Wasn't this every kid's dream?
"No!" Sawada burst out, looking more and more agitated by the minute, "Why would I want to become Vongola Decimo? What on earth could make someone want a stupid job like that? Being a hero... becoming Vongola... is just asking to die! Do I look insane? I'm not going to a martyr or a..." Seeming to realize what he was saying, he cut off, face turning red. "I never wanted this," He concluded, glaring at his feet.
Aizawa took in Sawada, the shift of his feet, the splay of his fingers. "Then I'll expel you," he said sharply, "I have no room for students that don't want to learn."
Sawada looked relieved, "Thank you so much, Aizawa-sensei," he bowed.
"Well," Aizawa frowned a bit, "I'll give you 24 hours to change your mind. If you do decide that you want to learn, I'll let you redo the test and I'll keep you on." Mostly, this offer was made because he didn't want to deal with expelling a recommended student. Those were harder to expel, much more paperwork, and it was so annoying.
"Thank you," Sawada repeated, looking pleased.
Aaand he was back.
Aizawa could figure out the reasoning, but Sawada explained anyways, looking distinctly put out. "Reborn says that if I don't learn from U.A., he'll tutor me personally," Sawada mumbled. "Please take me back."
Aizawa huffed.
What a problem child.
"Fine," He mumbled, "You better do your best. Don't slack, or I will expel you."
Sawada looked sad as he answered quietly, "Thank you, sensei."
He looked like he had been handed a death sentence.
(Maybe, given Vongola's past, he had.)