"Why are we here?" Endeavor barked. All Might didn't appreciate the number-two hero's tone but he was also curious why the commission requested the presence of the top ten, especially when no press was on scene. Something was off, the commission's board seemed stiff as they sat across the gathered heroes.
No one answered and All Might saw Endeavor tense at being ignored. A projection screen descended from the ceiling and a picture, from a camera phone most likely, appeared. It was of a young man, possibly in his late teens. He was smiling in the picture and seemed harmless, though without knowing his quirk it was impossible to tell.
"This is why you are here, Endeavor," a suit spoke. "This man has attacked just under twenty heroes who have attempted to detain him."
"How is it we've never heard of him?" Ryukyu asked.
"We believe his motive was to stay underground and slowly build support," another suit answered.
"Is he building an organization, some kind of outfit?" Gang Orca questioned.
"No. The support he is building is of the people, and that's one of the reasons you haven't heard him. His neighborhood is protecting him and refusing to cooperate with us. We believe he is seeking to undermine the very notion of heroes and is using his victories over us to demonstrate our ineptitude. We can't lose the support of the people nor can we allow them to be manipulated by this young man."
"We want a public showing of force. We want the entirety of the top ten to reveal this man to be the criminal that he is and we want to reassure all communities that they will receive the best that we have."
This, to All Might's mind, was overkill. The entirety of the top ten? Only the largest of organizations or maybe All for One deserve this. It didn't make sense and there was another flaw to the plan. "Wouldn't this overwhelming attack simply increase his support?" the Symbol of Peace asked.
"That's the thing, All Might; we don't know his quirk. According to reports, he's beaten every hero with martial skill alone. He may be winning these people over or he may have a mental coercion quirk."
"That is quite dastardly!" All Might yelled and the other nine heroes nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad you agree. We've put together an outline of his daily routine, I'd recommend you confront him as soon as possible so as to contain the threat. I wish you all luck."
"You call us dogs and yet you become one of us?" Endeavor's pained question represented Toshinori's own thoughts, him having slipped out of his muscle form. The laughter that followed the question was dismissive and mocking.
"No, I'm not under the authority of the Commission or even the Japanese government. Just think of me as a diplomat representing the Independent Republic of Naruto."
"You lie!" Endeavor exclaimed as shocks of fire escaped from his body. Naruto chuckled at the empty show of power. He had no intention of proving he'd told the truth as he had no reason to try to prove anything to them.
"He is not lying, Endeavor," Nezu said. "World governments have decided to treat Mr. Uzumaki as a global citizen."
"Why would any government agree to that let alone all of them?" Edgeshot asked.
'Because it'd get pretty hectic having to continually replace assassinated Heads of State,' Naruto thought but said nothing.
Nezu simply hummed before returning attention to Naruto. "May you please release them, Naruto, as we have other, pressing, matters." Naruto dropped the barrier and turned away. He'd spent enough time with the dogs. He quickly gathered his suit jacket and returned to his son.
"Walk you back to class?" Naruto requested and Izuku nodded. The two remained silent as they left the USJ and headed back to the main hall. It was awkward, the silence between them but Naruto would be hard pressed to think of a time he'd been happier. This was his son and even if it hadn't been ideal he had a chance to be present. There was no making up for lost time but they could build.
It wasn't easy to suppress his natural exuberance but Naruto didn't want to overwhelm Izuku. He'd matured enough to know he could be a bit much, could come on strong if he didn't check himself. So, even if Izuku didn't say anything during their walk, that was fine. They were together and that granted opportunity.
"Uh… mhm…" his son started to conjure sounds but couldn't seem to land on a word.
"Yes?" Naruto asked.
His boy struggled to meet his gaze but Naruto took it as a general nervous disposition and not a reflection on himself, he wasn't that scary. "That lightning technique you used was black. Could I… Could i learn that?"
"Of course. I'll even take you to get the tattoo once you do."
"T-tattoo?!" Izuku said with a raised voice.
"Yep. The black lightning is a special technique created by the Third Raikage and passed down to his final student, Darui. Darui taught me as a thank you for saving his life and the lives of his division. I even got the tat on my left shoulder."
"Mom would freak if I got one."
Naruto laughed lightly, "I suppose she would. So, how about we try to create your own color variant? Part of the reason I'm here is I'd like to start training you, if you'll allow me."
It hurt a little to see the genuine shock in his son's eyes. "You want to train me?"
"Of course!" Naruto replied. "The toads and scrolls I left were decent aids but one on one instruction would have been better and I know you've plateaued recently and still struggle with your kekkei genkai."
"Y-you know about that?" Izuku's face had reddened in embarrassment but Naruto saw no need for it. He'd basically struggled with everything that weren't shadow clones or subterfuge until he was sixteen. Though, the grumpy fox throwing off his chakra control didn't help.
'In my defense, I hadn't learned to like you yet,' a deep voice expressed lazily.
Naruto ignored his friend, assuming the fox only woke up long enough to say that before returning to slumber. Refocusing on his son, Naruto nodded. "By its very nature it is volatile so you managing to use it while under duress isn't shocking. But it has more applications than you realize. Don't worry, we've got time." And they did but when Naruto learned that his son and a classmate had been attacked by some sludge person he had to be talked down from a violent overreaction.
"And just know, training can be its own thing. I know we have to work out our relationship but your ability to protect yourself comes first. So, I'll do my best to not overreach." The silence returned after that but Naruto didn't mind. It was a nice day, all told, the weather reminiscent of Konoha during early fall. He thought about his original home less and less as the years had passed but it also hurt him less when he did. He hoped his precious ones were well but they were beyond him and could only exist as memories.
Walking toward the door of the main hall, Naruto saw Izuku give him a look of quiet mortification. It was good to know even his son had the typical aversion for parental embarrassment that most adolescents did. "I have to meet Recovery Girl," Naruto explained and watched the relief spread across Izuku's face.
Izuku was nearly back to his homeroom before he realized he still had his dad's photo album. It was a careless oversight but the hero-in-training had felt muted since he saw another person perform ninjutsu. His dad was Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't know what the appropriate response was to such a revelation. His mom had spoken about him but never in enough detail for him to figure out Naruto was his father.
He wasn't angry at either of his parents. He'd had a happy childhood, his mom always supported him and his dream of being a top hero. Even if they'd never met, he knew it was Naruto that provided the money so his mom never had to work and only on rare occasions did he feel like he was missing something by not having a dad around.
Further squashing any impulse to be angry was his father's worldwide notoriety. Heroes and villains alike would have tried to apprehend him if he'd stayed. Battles between powerful quirk users often ends with collateral damage, his mom and he could have been amongst it. To keep them from being targets or unintended victims he had to stay away.
So, he wasn't mad… but his dad was a stranger to him. The only things he knew about Naruto Uzumaki before today terrified him. Someone that could best All Might with no tricks, just raw fighting ability? That his exploits only grew simply added to the legend. But he was more than a myth now. Izuku clutched the photo album and thought about the memories his father shared. He hadn't led an easy nor awfully happy life. It seemed every time he got close, something or someone took it from him.
He reached his destination and pushed in the door. More and more questions swirled around his head but his thoughts were stopped dead by the feel of something soft smushed against his chest and arms around his neck. "You're ok!" was voiced excitedly.
"We were worried about you when Hawks couldn't retrieve you, ribbit," Tsuyu added. His focus drifted from the hug to the rest of the class, it seemed that none were hurt but most looked concerned for him. Feeling embarrassed he made them worry, he scratched the back of his head with one hand while waving the other.
"I'm fine, guys, really and so are the heroes."
"Did they beat that blond bastard? I bet that fight was beyond manly," Eijiro exclaimed.
"W-well, no. They tried but he trapped them in an escapable barrier."
There was a round of side conversations, most wondering if barrier creation was his father's quirk. He didn't want to confirm nor deny. He really just wanted to move one as he didn't care for all this attention.
"Bullshit!," Katsuki yelled, explosions coming off his hands. "There's no way someone with a shitty quirk like that could beat All Might once, let alone twice."
Izuku didn't know why he felt such a deep spike of annoyance, Katsuki was just being the human buzzsaw he always was and even Izuku was hard pressed to think of someone that could defeat a prime All Might but his dad had done just that and All Might wasn't in his prime anymore.
"Believe what you want, Katsuki," Izuku responded and hoped it'd be the end of the exchange. It, unfortunately, wasn't in the cards. Katsuki leapt to the top of his desk, striking a pose that Izuku would never believe he hadn't practiced beforehand. Stance wide, crouched with arms open and palms facing up. The reds of his eyes could barely be seen.
"Don't you try to high hat me, you shitty nerd!" he yelled while causing several minor explosions. Izuku wasn't in the mood for Katsuki's crap so he chose to walk to his desk and say nothing more. His former friend became even more irate and grabbed the photo album in retaliation. Faster than he could even process the thoughts, Izuku threw up his right knee. Katsuki assumed knee strike and moved away but it was a feint and set up a jumping roundhouse that the explosive future hero walked right into. The force of the kick caused Katsuki to crash into the back wall.
All looked shocked at what had just transpired, none more so than Izuku. Sure, he'd thought about slugging Katsuki before but he never did it. He was drowning in the silence as the unblinking gazes of his classmates started to burn through him. This was bad. He could be expelled for fighting a fellow classmate. His career could be ov-
"Ochaco-chan, the cinnamon roll is starting to freak. He needs another hug, stat!" Mina said to a round of chuckles but Izuku could admit the first one was nice. A second wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
"I'm goING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, DEKU!" Katsuki screamed from the ground, giving a go at his best Vegeta impression. Izuku shifted into his fighting stance and waited. Katsuki had to brace himself against the wall but was clearly prepared to attack.
Controlled breathing, relaxed muscles, and proper weight distribution. Those were at the heart of a proper stance and all three had become something of second nature to Izuku. He watched Katsuki, looking for any tells that would give him an edge. His body was tense, the first attack would probably be feral. Strong and fast but sloppy. Katsuki let slip a growl and then pushed off the wall. The wide arching hook he planned to throw was halted when the classroom's door was blasted open and Endeavor impacted the far wall hard enough to leave spider web like cracks in it.
"I made sure not to break your jaw, Endeavor; would you care to repeat what you just said? Or have your senses returned and you remembered you weren't talking to someone you've conditioned to fear you?"
Izuku watched in horror as his father, once again, was attacking a hero. It was also embarrassing, no one else's parents were attacking Endeavor. He noticed when the tall blond's attention turned to the class and he laughed. Laughed and scratched the back of his head, a gesture Izuku was all too familiar with.
"Oh, hey! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" he introduced with great cheer.
"We know!" the entirety of the class responded.
"Cool, then I can keep this short; I'm going to be your Philosophy and Ethics of Heroism instructor."
"WHAT!?" Izuku yelled.
Moments Earlier
"Oh, Mr. Uzumaki, you've finally joined us," Nezu said. Naruto nodded at the principal but his main focus was on the emaciated All Might who appeared to be deeply confused.
"Did you not tell him why he's here?" Naruto asked.
"We wanted to wait for your arrival," Recovery Girl said. "Toshinori, this man may be able to heal you when I could not."
"And it was one of the conditions of his return to Japan," Nezu added.
"I don't buy it," Toshinori spoke after a moment of contemplation. "Why are you really doing this?"
"You mean why would I help one of the people responsible for making it too dangerous for me to be around my kid for over a decade? Why would I ever help such a person when by any metric they should be my enemy?" With every word the pressure in the room increased, revealing just a hint of the depths of his anger. But as if a switch was flipped, the pressure left.
"First, because Izuku looks up to you and if he knew I could help you and didn't he might assume all the lies the Hero Commission spread about me. Secondly, with you operating at full capacity it gives me time to train him up so he can achieve his dream and surpass you. It's clear All for One is ready to make a move on you and personally, I don't care. But if my kid got hurt because you weren't up to task then our differences would pale in comparison."
Toshinori nodded, accepting his rationale. The man laid back on the exam table and lifted up his shirt to show his wound. Naruto's blue eyes became golden with black crosses in each. He touched Toshinori's torso and focused on reestablishing balance, on replacing what was lost and readjusting what had been moved. He'd gotten so accustomed to his Yin-Yang healing he didn't need the Sage of Sixth Paths Mode to do it but it was easier and faster when he utilized it.
It didn't take long before he was done, the healing was that radical. His face and body filled in and his skin adopted a healthy glow. Recovery Girl checked over Toshinori before she'd respond. The check up was even shorter than Naruto's healing but she cautioned it was just preliminary and she'd have to do more extensive tests. "But, with that being said, you seem to have been returned to full health. How do you feel, Toshinori?"
"I feel great, like my old self. I never thought I'd experience this again. Thank you, Naruto," Toshinori said. Naruto waved him off and started for the exit. He rolled his eyes as the beacon for impotent rage arrived at the opposite side of the door and yanked it open to demonstrate his dominance over doors. So strong, much man.
"Where's the rat?"
"Ya know, if you're just going to tee me up like that it takes all the challenge out of it," Naruto complained. Endeavor shot him a confused look and Naruto sighed. He was quite slow in his youth but c'mon! "The mirror. If you want to find the rat, look in the mirror."
"I've had enough of your juvenile taunts, criminal!" Endeavor let his flames rise and was hit with a genuine and sincere indifference.
"You're loud and in my way," Naruto said. Endeavor's features tightened but he didn't move. "Well, at least you're quieter."
"Enji, move," Recovery Girl ordered and the Hellfire Hero stepped aside but couldn't allow Naruto to have the last word.
"You know the Commission kept a dossier of your bastard and his mother. She seems simpering and weak-willed. Might need the attention of a firm hand to set her and that boy straight." Naruto ignored the man, something that dented his pride more than the beating he took earlier. Endeavor wanted to hurt him, wanted to sink the knife deep and twist it slow. He let his worst impulses take control, summoning the foulest sentiments he could.
"Or maybe her address gets slipped to a villain that wouldn't be so consensual about it." Naruto was on him as soon as he finished the sentence and engaged in the most technically proficient mauling ever seen.
Present Time
"You certainly have a healthy set of lungs. Good job!" Naruto praised and watched his son slink into his seat, weighed down by adolescent embarrassment. Being a dad was fun! Though, he'd noticed the fighting stance Izuku was in and that Bakugo boy was struggling back to his desk. He'd have to ask about it later. He did a quick scan of the faces in the crowd, most didn't seem outright terrified. Naruto considered that a small win.
A hesitant hand was raised in the back, he smiled and nodded to her, "Yes…"
"Momo Yaoyorozu, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Hi, Momo-chan."
"Hi?" she said with zero commitment. Seemed they were still a little afraid but he'd work on that. "I'm curious why UA is offering a new course when the semester has already started and how you, a- came to teach it."
"Those are excellent questions though one answers the other. They are offering the course at my behest, which would also be why I'm teaching it. But you're probably more interested in why a villain is allowed to walk around a Hero High School, let alone gain employment.
The truth is I was never a villain. The Hero Commission lied to the public and even to the heroes to save face. The only crime I've ever committed in Japan came with a 25,000 yen ticket and it was unauthorized use of a quirk. The hero that tried to give me the ticket only cared because I was getting more attention than him. We got into an argument and he attacked me so I beat his ass.
This set off a cycle where these no name heroes started fights with me, I beat them down and go on about my day. Eventually, word got back to the Commission and they decided I'm some hero hunter who had manipulated the residents of my neighborhood to support me so they sent the top ten after me.
The consequence for trouncing the top ten is you are now on the radar of villains. Real villains. Kidnap your pregnant girlfriend if you don't do what we say villains. So, instead of killing every villain within Japan I chose to leave and see if I could find a more accommodating place to live. But it became the same thing, idiot heroes testing me and feckless thugs trying to hire me. Except France, their heroes were cool but being a member of the EU, it just meant I'd get it from surrounding countries. You know how hard it is to graduate from The Sorbonne University with heroes breathing down your neck?"
"Very?" a talking grape proffered.
"Nope. They're all weak. It's harder for me not to kill them, that's how much I had to hold back. But anyway, I traveled a bit, liberated a few countries and now I'm back."
"That doesn't really tell us how you were allowed back," a glasses wearing boy said.
"You ask scary questions, Glasses-kun," Naruto said as he peered into the adolescent's very soul. He knew if he kept it up for long the boy would mentally shatter so he shifted to a smile. "That's a good impulse. My class is going to be all about asking questions. And hopefully by the end of our time together you'll come away with something previous generations did not have."
"What's that?" Izuku asked.
"That you are more than heroes and greater than your quirks. You should be just as invested in figuring out what kind of people you want to be. Endeavor never did the work, assumed being a great hero was enough. And now look at him, beat up and napping on the floor of a high school classroom. Don't be like Endeavor, gang."
"That's rational advice," Mr. Aizawa added from the doorway. "I see you've met my class."
"Yup, seems like a good bunch."
"It's too early to rationally conclude that," Aizawa said and Naruto snickered at the collective sweat drops.
"Then I'm glad I have several weeks to see for myself. Goodbye class-"
"Wait!" yelled Bakugo.
"Yes?"
"What's your quirk?"
"Oh… you should ask Izuku-kun, he did fight me by himself after all. Ja ne," Naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves while his son had a return of attention he decidedly did not want. He sank in his chair hoping all would lose interest.
"TALK, NERD!" No such luck.
Her heart raced at the sound of the knocks on her door. It wasn't fair for him to be able to do this after all this time, to still fluster her when he'd yet to say a word. Especially since she should be mad at him. Especially especially because he did the thing that created the need for him to leave them in the first place. She kept a steady pace to the door and took a deep breath before she turned the knob.
Time had been good to him, that was her first thought. He'd lost most of the boyishness in his face, features not as soft as they were when she and he first met. But he was still handsome, still sporting a smile that could light up a room and make her heart flip. His chosen attire hadn't helped matters, the tailored suit complimenting his athletic frame.
"Inko," he said softly but she could tell his voice had deepened, "you look good."
"Thanks. Come in," she welcomed him in and as he walked past she learned he'd kept the same cologne. She had to remind herself no matter how badly she'd wanted to see him she had reason to be mad. "Have a seat at the table, we need to talk," she said as she forced her voice to reflect a neutrality she hadn't obtained. She sat beside him and took a deep breath to settle her nerves.
"We should have told him together. I know you know that."
"That was the plan, Inko. I was going to check in with Nezu and get my documentation squared away then come here so we could plan on what to do and how to tell him." Unless he'd changed radically over the past fifteen years, she believed him.
"Then what happened? I know the students were attacked and I'm so grateful you were there to keep him safe but why was that the time to reveal everything?"
"Because the first time my son ever looked me in the eyes, his were filled with fear. He was terrified of me. Not the situation, not that thing I took care of but me. I couldn't wait, I couldn't let him think I'm someone that would ever hurt him. I just couldn't."
Inko hadn't realized it until Naruto finished speaking but she was holding one of his hands in both of hers. Any anger she felt had dissolved and the only thing left was guilt. "I'm sorry. I know you stayed away as much for me as for Izuku's safety."
"No need to apologize, By all appearances he seems a decent young man and you've done a wonderful job of keeping him safe and happy. If the price for that was my absence, I'd gladly pay." A comfortable silence settled between the two as she savored the feel of his hand in hers. She could pepper him with questions but her overriding concern had been if he were well, and if he resented her. She had an answer to both so for just this moment she wanted to be a little selfish. Time, however, would not abide her request and the seconds ticked away without a care for her desire that they not.
"Izuku will be home soon, I think I should talk to him alone," Inko said.
"Are you sure? We can explain everything together."
Inko shook her head as she knew this was something she needed to do. "I don't know how Izuku will react but if he is angry at me but you're here he'll use you as an outlet.
"I can take it," Naruto assured her.
"But it won't solve the problem, it'd just be putting it off. No, we need to have this talk just the two of us but I promise this will be the last thing I exclude you from." Naruto nodded and stood up from the table. Inko escorted him to the door. As he stepped out he turned around to meet her eyes.
"You do look good, Inko," he said.
"Y-you already told me that," she responded in mild embarrassment.
"Yea, but I didn't think you believed me."
"W-what makes you think if I didn't believe you before I'd believe you now, Naruto!" she tried to sound indignant but given how she was clutching her hands and looking down with a slight blush, the effect was lost. Inko felt his palm rest on her cheek. The warmth helped calm her.
"I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it," Naruto shared.
"That won't be ne-"
"Because I didn't come back just for Izuku." Inko felt a kiss on her opposite cheek but just as fast the warmth left and Naruto was walking down the hall. She closed the door, returned to her seat and plopped her head on the table.
"Damn you, Naruto-kun" she bemoaned with a small smile.