Chapter 2: Hide and Seek

"All Might, sir?"

Toshinori turns to the young girl standing beside him. Young Jirō is one of the few he's got his eye on, if only because he recognizes the design of her uniform. It's been a long time since he's seen one of the original Shinobi take to heroism, but he's proud to see them making a comeback.

"Yes, young lady?"

"Those two," Jirō points at the screens, where Bakugō and Midoriya are featured. Midoriya, post stretch, is staring up the building with what looks like a dangerous case of hyper focus while his opponent meditates with his arms limp at his sides. "They shouldn't be fighting."

"Why is that? Did something happen?" Toshinori catches more than a few of the other students shuffling nervously on his left, stoking his curiosity even further. "Come now, I can respect the youth of my students! There's no need to worry about telling me if there's trouble brewing in your class."

"Well… They seem more serious than the rest of us, first off," Jirō says quietly, twisting her jacks around her fingers as her eyes dart from screen to screen. "But they sound different too."

Toshinori looks back at the screens. He's already proud of the two boys in question: Bakugō could afford some better costume design, but theme is… intimidating, if nothing else. Midoriya seems to understand his quirk well, and something tells Toshinori that Midoriya's scarf is more useful than aesthetic. Even if they weren't technically at the top of the class already, Toshinori thinks he would rank them near the top simply based on first impressions.

He knows better. Everyone in the staff knows better, at this point. Midoriya and Bakugō rival the recommended students in every category, and they haven't even had a chance to show off.

"Let me give you all your first lesson," Toshinori's voice echoes around the room, drawing the attention of every student… even Todoroki. "This particular match up… Rather, those two students. Their match up was inevitable."

"That drawing wasn't random?!" Uraraka cries. Iida's arm shoots up, and even without seeing the boy's face Toshinori can feel a lecture coming on. A quickly raised hand stops them short.

"UA does not play favorites in the classroom, and especially not when training. Your grades before UA, your wealth, your history, how you were accepted… None of that will benefit you here. In fact, it is the opposite: when you show promise, you will be tested even more harshly. Our job is to focus on who you are now and who you want to be," Toshinori can feel the air change. He's fairly good at public speaking, but this is not his doing: this is something in his students. A spark in their eyes. Something hungry, hanging on his every word… and not because he's All Might. "Those two. Bakugō and Midoriya. What do you all think of them?"

"They're rivals!" Uraraka pumps her fists energetically.

"Midoriya is an exceptionally kind student with a powerful quirk!" Iida states.

"Midoriya's a dragon!" Kirishima roars. "And Bakugō is packing some serious heat!"

"They look like they're going to kill one another." Todoroki mutters.

"All good points. Despite being in class 1-A, placed in one of the highest positions, those two stood out… much like young Todoroki and young Yaoyorozu," Toshinori nods at the two in question. "This will happen to each of you. You will be placed in situations where you are forced to fight the odds. If you believe this is special treatment, then we will push you until you hate us for it. I placed those two against one another because they are volatile. Because they will push themselves to go beyond."

Toshinori's grin peels back against his teeth as One for All burns in his eyes.

"Can you bear the weight of our expectations, young heroes?"

A shudder runs through the class as Toshinori turns towards the monitors.

"Time is up. Hero team, you may infiltrate the hideout!"

Neither team communicates much. Bakugō instructs his partner to guard their missile, then proceeds downstairs. Midoriya's speech in front of the building seems to be the extent of his teamwork with young Kaminari, but Toshinori can see something in his posture that speaks for him.

He's still not sure what to think of Midoriya. At first, he'd been unexpectedly pleased by the boy's profile, but their talk at the beach (hadn't that been a shocking discovery— seeing that mask on Midoriya when he'd first entered the classroom had shaken Toshinori terribly!) left Toshinori feeling close to certain. Midoriya's quirk is powerful, the boy's instincts seem geared in the right direction, and he seems to suffer from the same urge that Toshinori feels every day.

The urge to save. An instinct that would not be denied, an ambition that did not demand attention or recognition; Only the safety and happiness of others.

But Toshinori can't make his decision after one talk and an exam. He needs more. The next bearer of One for All needs to be someone with the right personality.

When Bakugō attacks, Toshinori can't help but feel concerned. Bakugō has all the makings of a great hero already, if only his personality didn't switch between cold dismissiveness and a feral battle instinct. At some point they would need to break that habit.

Midoriya's first move is to shield Kaminari. Bakugō recognizes the win condition. They're split up by a surprisingly quick maneuver from Bakugō.

Both of them seem comfortable in the air, which is a difficult skill. Midoriya's wall jumping skill is a factor of his quirk, most likely: a buff from his fire reserves to his muscles. His kicks, however, speak of training and skill. People aren't naturally able to twist like that. While in freefall, without a platform to ground them, it was nearly impossible to counter the momentum of a strong round kick and then reverse it into a second round kick.

Midoriya does it with style.

Their conversation makes Toshinori's blood run cold.

They've fought before?

Suddenly Jirō's message takes on a whole new meaning.

Kaminari makes it to the stairs, then up to the top floor. He's engaging Shoji, who's armed himself with a wooden beam from debris scattered around the building and a wooden pallet torn from the same box. It's not a bad idea, but that won't do much good if he plans to get close.

"Whoa, am I seeing double?!" Ashido, the pink skinned young girl, bounces to the front of the crowd. "I thought he could only breathe fire!"

Toshinori catches a glimpse of what she means: a flicker of green and white as Midoriya moves into position in front of Bakugō. It's brief on the cameras, but there cloud of distorted video surrounding Midoriya provides a hint.

"Clever… He's using the heat rising from his body to trick his opponents." Toshinori chuckles.

"What kind of person comes up with that…?" Yaoyorozu mutters.

Midoriya's aptitude for close combat is good, but there's more to the picture. Bakugō's counter, considering the damage he's taken, is frighteningly perfect. It leaves Midoriya on the back foot and gives Bakugō the perfect chance to take the stage. Toshinori will have to remind him not to create too much smoke like that in the future; visibility is…

"Fire Dragon's Wings!"

In the final moments, Toshinori can clearly see who these boys are. They both have room to grow, and they've both mastered techniques that are far beyond what Toshinori expected of them. For students they've gone above and beyond… but they are only students. Midoriya had the advantage in the hallway, and Bakugō's mistake was a fatal one. Not one he would make again, if Toshinori had to guess, but fatal, nonetheless.

Midoriya's kick puts Bakugō out of commission hard. Kicking people in the side of the head is definitely not a good idea. Toshinori will have to talk to both of them.

He looks at the other monitors, where Kaminari is being manhandled by Shoji after overusing his quirk. The students would probably be laughing at that if they weren't in shock after the fight on the lower floors. Everyone watches with bated breath as Midoriya hoists the unconscious and captured Bakugō over one shoulder, breathing heavily as he takes to the stairs. When Midoriya reaches the top, he drops Bakugō to the floor and looks at Shoji with a sigh.

"One for one."

"You should surrender, Hero," Shoji says. Three of his arms are wrapped around Kaminari to keep the fool from stumbling onto the bomb and defaulting- a good decision, if it weren't for the handicap he's facing now. "Or I'll take it out on your teammate."

Toshinori almost laughs. Shoji knows what he's doing!

"Don't move, Hero!"

"You want me to leave, don't you?"

"Leave him."

"Take him!"

Toshinori's eyes widen when Midoriya twists and throws Bakugō bodily across the room. He can faintly make out the blurred feed surrounding Midoriya, a telltale trace of his quirk empowerment, but even with his quirk it's impressive.

Shoji's first reaction is to catch his partner out of the air, locking his remaining arms around the unconscious body of his ally. Midoriya blazes through the room using Bakugō as a screen. When Shoji swings Bakugō's unconscious body at Midoriya, it passes straight through the illusion.

"Fire Dragon Arts—"

Toshinori feels his chest hammer strongly in his chest when Midoriya's voice cuts the silence. Luckily one of the other cameras has the angle he needs: from the back corner of the room, rather than the front, the class can see Midoriya rolling to his feet behind young Shoji.

"—Stomping Ground."

The haze from Midoriya's quirk hides his exact moves in a blur of green, white and black. Shoji flails, arching his back and dropping to his knees before he's knocked down hard. Midoriya lays a hand on the bomb after a moment to breathe, immediately dropping to one knee as he croaks into the communicator.

"Device… secured…"

"Hero team wins!" Toshinori says. He doesn't need to say it very loud: the only ones who can hear him are in the room with him. It comes off forced, probably… but he can't really help it. Midoriya's win is overwhelming.

"Did he just take out Bakugō and Shoji…?" Satō grumbles from the crowd, scratching his head. "Midoriya is a beast…"

"I told you, he's a dragon! Go Midoriya!" Kirishima breaks the silence with a cheer that's quickly picked up by his classmates. Most of them, at least. Some are looking at the screen thoughtfully. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki seem to be considering the fight carefully. Jirō as well. Iida seems… torn.

Toshinori watches the drones pick up all four members of the battle exercise. Midoriya waves them off, staggering out of the building on his own despite the effort it seems to take. When the boy arrives back at the observation room, his classmates nearly swarm him.

"W-wait!" Midoriya holds up a hand to stop them, though Iida and Kirishima don't take the hint. Kirishima hisses when he gets too close, and Toshinori breathes a sigh of relief when the class steps back from the steaming youth.

"Damn, what… Midoriya, is that you?"

Toshinori almost frowns. All Might doesn't frown without a reason, though.

"Yeah," Midoriya nods, shuffling along the back wall to avoid getting too close to the others. "I'm just, my quirk is… a lot…"

Anyone with eyes can tell that's an understatement. The boy isn't just steaming, he's nearly boiling.

"Young Midoriya… shouldn't you see Recovery Girl?" Toshinori asks.

"I'm okay," Midoriya sighs, wincing as he peels himself away from the back wall. The material doesn't seem to be melting (yet) but the way Midoriya moves makes Toshinori worry some. "I'll cool down soon. I want to watch the other matches with everyone."

"As you wish," Toshinori coughs into one hand. "Now then, I believe the results of that match are clear! Midoriya, with the most takedowns and the success of his team, is the MVP! Let us move on to our other matches!"

Halfway through the third match, the boys from the first match return to the observation room. Bakugō glares at Midoriya for a moment, but rather than fighting Bakugō simply clicks his tongue and stalks towards the opposite side of the room. Midoriya's eyes turn to the floor, but for a moment Toshinori sees a smile his face.

-0-

-0-

The matches that follow Izuku's fight are nowhere near as intense as Izuku's. He watches them with laser focus anyways, and takes mental notes of every quirk he sees, how they're used and what the combinations are. Quirks have always been his favorite. Attending U.A. is a dream come true, especially when surrounded by so many neat quirks.

But one thing bothers him. A leftover from his match. He can't risk taking his eyes form the screen, but every moment not dedicated to remembering the details is spent playing out possible conversations.

All Might takes off running as soon as they finish class, and everyone dissolves into chatter as they make their way to the locker rooms. Rather than moving to change, Izuku drifts away from the pack, heading towards the corner.

"Shoji?" The boy in question lifts his head and looks at Izuku over his shoulder but doesn't respond. Izuku leaves plenty of space between them; he isn't sure why Shoji's locker is further inside than the rest of theirs, but he's determined to respect the boy's privacy. "I just wanted to apologize for the exercise. You did really well, and if I hurt you…"

"Midoriya." Shoji turns and carefully lowers himself toward the bench. "We were opponents in a spar. Winning is no reason to apologize."

"I went overboard," Izuku mutters. "And we're not… I'd like to be friends. So, I want to apologize for hurting you."

"I see…" Shoji peels off his hero costume, revealing the slabs of muscle beneath… and the mask that remains pulled up over his jaw. "You're different outside of combat."

Izuku chuckles nervously. He knows that; he's been told that he gets a bit scary when he's fighting. Fighting to win is something he'd learned from emulating Bakugō, back before he'd developed a style all his own. Though he isn't the only one with a split personality: Sabito has a mentality even more brutal and bloodthirsty than Izuku's. Bakugō's ferocity is on a hair trigger.

"I'd like us to be friends as well," Shoji stands up and approaches his locker, turning his back to Izuku once more as he peels his mask off. "You won the exercise today. I don't hold a grudge over it, but your apology is appreciated… My head is still throbbing after that last attack."

"Thank you, Shoji-kun," Izuku breathes a sigh of relief, though he still doesn't feel comfortable. "I'll leave you be."

He shares a tense moment with Bakugō as they pull on their uniforms, one that causes the other boys to slow and watch them carefully. Bakugō huffs and stomps into his boots, then storms out as the rest of their classmates sigh in with relief.

"Man, he looks like he wants to kill you Midoriya," Satō grumbles. Izuku chuckles as he pulls his mask up.

"Don't worry about it too much. In our old school no one else had a quirk that could keep up with him, so we were always pushing each other."

"Really?" Kirishima slams his locker and grins. "That's so manly! Maybe he could teach me a thing or two. My quirk isn't great for heroics so I gotta focus on guts…"

Izuku is halfway to the door when Kirishima's words register. He thinks of the battle trial, where Kirishima had thrown himself into combat against Todoroki and nearly been frozen solid. Then he thinks of Ojiro, who'd lost to Mineta's sticky balls and a good old-fashioned shove, and of Shoji, who'd fought against Kaminari and won.

He knows he's staring, but it doesn't feel like he's seeing anything. It takes a conscious effort to drag himself out of the catalog built from the battle trial, to blink and look at the floor. Kirishima is visibly bashful as he pulls on his undershirt and his button up.

"I trained for eight years to get here," He says quietly. The room is near silent, save for the sound of clothing being pulled on and settled into, and even that stills when they hear him begin to speak. "Bakugō has been training since he was four. He was always the smartest person in our neighborhood, and he's got a drive to match. But Bakugō placed first in the entrance exam without getting any rescue points, and Yaoyorozu beat him out on the fitness tests."

Izuku scratches the back of his neck and coughs softly, feeling his cheeks light up.

"Your quirk is only as strong as you make it, Kirishima-kun. And you're already plenty strong, so… you should give yourself more credit, is all."

To say that he flees is a bit dramatic, but he walks to the door quickly. A few of the girls are just leaving their locker room, and he makes a point to veer towards the other side of the hall. Left alone to his thoughts, he runs through his mental notes on each quirk he's seen. He only looks up when he hears the door to the classroom scrape open and Bakugō's voice cuts through the hallway.

"I'll bring it by later."

Izuku looks up, staring at Bakugō for a moment before he nods. Uraraka and Iida give him a curious look as he passes by them at the door.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing important," Izuku brushes off the question quickly, trying and failing to brush off the heat in his cheeks. He's not ashamed of his hero merchandise- rather, he's immensely proud of it- but he guards it jealously. More than anything he keeps his mouth shut because he knows Bakugō well. After years of watching his 'rival' build up a persona to keep at school, Izuku can't bring himself to reveal anything that Bakugō may not be ready to reveal.

Besides, this is something special. A connection worth the weight of the world.

He walks out with Uraraka and Iida and Kaminari and Shoji, though they all peel off towards their respective stations at one point or another. For the most part the conversation revolves around Uraraka and her endless curiosity, or Iida and his animated personality. They have to ask for his opinion outright, but it comes easily once he has a moment to ground himself.

Shortly after dinner, as he's working through the pile of homework left over from the day, he hears a knock at the door.

"Ah, Katsuki! It's so good to see you dear," Izuku's mother gushes.

"S'fine, auntie. Deku here?"

"I think he's—," Inko chuckles as Izuku pokes his head out of his door. "Did you two get into another fight?"

"It's called sparring, Auntie…!" Bakugō's teeth snap audibly, and Izuku can't help sharing a laugh with his mother. The only one offended by cursing in Inko's presence in Bakugō, which leaves the boy in a precarious position.

"Well, I'll leave you be, but I've got some bento for your mother, Katsuki, so come talk with me afterward." Inko grins, ruffling Izuku's hair as they pass in the hall. He shuts the door behind him, if only to make his friend more comfortable.

"Deku." Bakugō doesn't sneer. There's no jeering when it comes to this part of their relationship, which is yet another thing that is unique to Bakugō Katsuki. He holds out a small plastic case with one hand, gripping it lightly by the edges. From the outside looking in, his actions seem careless. Izuku knows better: the muscles wrapped around Bakugō's forearms are comparable to steel cables, and they still understate the boy's grip.

Izuku takes the piece of plastic carefully. The card case isn't quite a year old, but the card inside is a collectible from almost ten years ago. All Might appears in full art, in both his young age and golden age costumes, with a faint sheen of holographic tint over the artwork.

He slides it into his pocket carefully, and only when the card is safely tucked away does Bakugō look up from Izuku's hands. They share a tense glare for a moment before Bakugō scowls.

"I'll get it back soon."

"You can try," Izuku says. "But I'm keeping it from now on."

"We'll see," Bakugō clicks his tongue, twisting his neck to either side. "Don't go for the fucking face next time. You're gonna kill someone."

Izuku frowns to himself as he thinks that over. Bakugō is right, though Izuku had only gone that far because… well, it's UA. Where else is he supposed to go all out?

"Outta the way," Bakugō sighs, reaching for the doorknob. "Gotta make nice with Auntie while you catch up on your fucking homework."

Izuku shuts the door to his room and smiles behind his mask. His mother has always drawn people in, and even stiff, ceremonial Bakugō Katsuki isn't immune to her charms. Their parents are barely acquaintances, considering how busy the Bakugō family is, but Midoriya Inko won't let that stop her.

No one ever complains. Midoriya Inko has a way about her, specifically a way around the kitchen, that is unrivaled.

-0-

-0-

Izuku a nervous person. Crowds make him especially uncomfortable, and cameras are that much worse. He stares at the reporters perched on UA's stoop for several minutes, watching them accost every student with questions about All Might. Considering his nerves, it isn't surprising when he hears someone coming up behind him.

"Something the matter, Midoriya?" Rather than answer outright, Izuku points around the corner. Shoji hums quietly to himself, then looks down at Izuku curiously. "Do you not like crowds?"

"They make me uncomfortable." Izuku shudders. There's no way to explain in so many words how much he dislikes crowds. He's sensitive to sounds and smells, and as the number of people goes up so does the volume of information.

"Would you like to go together?" Shoji offers, waving three arms towards the gate.

"Is it okay if I hide behind you?" He asks quietly. A growing sense of nausea rolls over his tongue and pours into his stomach like syrup.

"Only if I can hide behind you too," Shoji replies. Izuku scrambles after him, making a point to match the giant's stride and stay beside him. The humor isn't lost on him, but it strikes him particularly heavily, even if that might not have been the intention.

The crowd is even more oppressive than Izuku thought it would be. It feels a bit like being outside in heavy rain, if heavy rain smelt like people and perfume and cologne and grease. Shoji walks through them as if they aren't even there, and Izuku struggles to do the same.

Neither of them starts a conversation on the way to the classroom, and for the first time Izuku feels as though neither of them needs to say anything. It's a refreshing feeling, this friendship. Even if he's a bit early, maybe assuming too much, the thought makes him smile.

The silence is broken when they run into Ashido and Yaoyorozu in the hall. Izuku stiffens when Yaoyorozu zeroes in on him, despite the gentle smile on her face.

"Good morning, Midoriya-kun, Shoji-kun," She says, waving casually while Ashido bounces energetically on her other side. "Do you have a moment Midoriya-kun?"

"Hmm?" Izuku blinks, looking back and forth from the pink girl to the pale one. They continue walking but the urge to hide returns. "S-sure."

"I was very impressed by your skill in the battle trial," Yaoyorozu continues, ignoring the fact that she has several centimeters on him and that Ashido is twirling around in front of them talking with all three of them simultaneously. "I've never seen anyone with a body enhancement quirk do anything like that. Do you study martial arts?"

"N-not exactly," Izuku blushes when he thinks of his 'Fire Dragon Arts'. "I pick up a little bit from watching videos online and from sparring with family friends, but I've never been formally trained."

"Oh?" Yaoyorozu's eyes widen. "You came up with all of that on your own?"

"No!" Izuku blurts, holding up his hands in apology when the girl starts. "No, I had to… That isn't really, I mean… it's not formal training. I don't really know any proper techniques."

"It's still very impressive. Who did you train with if they aren't proper techniques?"

"Have you ever heard of Kamado corp.?" Izuku settles a bit when Yaoyorozu nods. "I've been practicing with the family once or twice a month since I was young."

"There are fire users in the Kamado family if I remember right… But aren't the Kamado family swordsmen?" Yaoyorozu's brow pinches as they reach the classroom. A soft thank you falls from her lips when she notices Shoji holding the door for them. "Do you practice?"

"Kamado-sensei taught me the sword, but my quirk isn't suitable for it." Izuku mutters.

"Why not!" Ashido grins as she perches on her desk, grinning broadly as she made chopping motions with her hands. "Wouldn't it be awesome to run around with a flaming sword!"

"Forty-two heroes have wielded flaming swords as a part of their quirk!" The information bubbles up before Izuku can think, along with the beginning of a smile under his mask. "And a total of seventy-nine heroes have used fire and swords in combination, while two hundred and ninety-six used fire quirks…"

He trails off when he registers the wide eyes of every classmate in earshot, blushing fiercely and looking at the floor rather than their shocked expressions.

"I… I can't, um… do that," He coughs slightly and backs away, on the verge of fleeing to his desk- or the bathroom, he's strongly considering the bathroom as an option- when Ashido leaps up and pounces on him.

"Midoriya, you little genius!" She twirls him around until he's left reeling in place, then shakes him back and forth by the shoulders. "Hey, hey, you should tutor me for our exams!"

"S-sure…" Izuku steadies himself on the nearest desk, waiting patiently for the room to stop spinning.

"If you keep shaking him like that, you're going to scramble the golden egg," Jirō calls. Izuku manages a weak groan and a nod as the others laugh. "You like heroes, Midoriya?"

"Ye-yeah—" Izuku blinks rapidly. "and quirks."

"Doesn't everyone like heroes?" Uraraka grins at Izuku's shoulder. "I thought everyone at UA would be a fan."

"Well yeah," Kaminari grins, perching an elbow on Izuku's shoulder as he aims a smirk in Uraraka's direction. "but not everyone memorizes hard facts about the hero industry!"

"Deku's a nerd, get over it." Bakugō growls, dumping himself into his desk.

"You're never gonna get any tutoring with that attitude Blasty!" Kaminari yelps when Bakugō materializes at his shoulder, unleashing a burst of sparks from one hand.

"Who the fuck needs Deku—"

"That's enough." The class is seated by the time Aizawa shuts the door. He regards them with a strange humor, as if their behavior is only delaying some inevitable self-destruction that he can see clearly… one that he may or may not have popcorn ready for. "You'll be picking a class president today."

-0-

-0-

Izuku isn't sure what to make of the gangly teacher in the yellow pinstripe suit. Yagi-san seems nice enough, but the fact that the principal is here makes Izuku nervous. Especially considering how gruff Aizawa is with them.

"Would you like some tea my boy? Or is that mask perhaps…?" Yagi frowns thoughtfully from across the table, and Nezu's expression shifts just a tiny bit. Izuku swallows faintly and pulls at his mask.

"Y-yes please, I'll have some if that's okay," He lays the mask on top of his bag and returns his hands to his knees, sitting stiffly on the couch. "My mask is to help with my quirk, Yagi-sensei, I'm not sick."

"I see. You breathe fire, yes? I remember from the entrance exam." Yagi groans as he slides the saucer and teacup across the table.

"I have a bad habit of talking to myself, and occasionally I can cough up smoke or embers." Izuku takes a careful sip from his cup, then swiftly drains half of it. He's careful not to drink all of it, but the taste is delightful.

"I can see how that might be disruptive to a classroom environment." Nezu chirps. Izuku nods, then looks at Yagi curiously.

"So, um… m-may I ask what you wanted to talk to me about, sir?"

"All Might mentioned something when we were discussing yesterday's freshman battle trial," Yagi coughs softly into his fist as he pulls out a thermos for himself. "He mentioned that you had a remarkably high aptitude for martial arts, considering your usage of your quirk, and he mentioned something that caught my ear:

"What exactly are 'Fire Dragon Arts', young Midoriya?"

Izuku stares at his teacup, fidgeting quietly as he struggles to form the words. He knew that this would come up eventually, but he feels a bit bashful after what happened this morning- being sought out by Yaoyorozu, the beauty queen, and then blabbing to Ashido about heroes, and now All Might is talking about him?

"I, uh… It's just…" Izuku takes a deep breath, pulling on his fingers and reaching up to scratch his jaw. "M-my fire breath comes from my dad. He likes to joke about his quirk, even though it's small fire breathing. Nothing like Endeavor or Phoenix or Nova."

"Your quirk seems much stronger," Nezu says.

"No, not really, I'm just- I have to store it up," Izuku blushes fiercely. "I can only use as much fire as I eat, and I've been eating fire my whole life. My quirk needs it. That's why, um, I called my style 'Fire Dragon Arts'… after my dad."

"He must be very proud of you," Yagi chuckles. "Making it into UA, knowing your quirk so well… you must have worked very hard."

"I train every day," Izuku says quickly. "My sensei, he practices kenjutsu and martial arts. He taught me how to train my quirk and my body at the same time."

"Sensei?" Yagi blinks, resting his elbows on his knees. He seems more intimidating suddenly, with those bright blue eyes glittering in his sunken sockets. "You practice martial arts with a particular school?"

"No, it's not like that," Izuku waves his hands. "I'm not formally his student! But Kamado-sensei is very kind and he offered to let me work sometimes, because he knew I wanted to go to UA and because his school trains full body sword fighting…!"

"Kamado?" Nezu cuts in. "Kamado Tanjiro, the current CEO of Kamado corp.?"

"Y-yes sir," Izuku mutters.

"If you're not a formal student of the Kamado style…"

"Breath of the Sun," Izuku corrects Yagi immediately, out of habit more than anything, and bows his head in a silent apology. Yagi nods politely and continues.

"…the Breath of the Sun, then where did you learn your techniques?" He asks. "I was a hand to hand fighter, back in my prime. I learned most of my lessons from street brawls and angry teachers."

"I watch a lot of videos online," Izuku murmurs. "And I learned from all the different styles that the Kamado family trains with."

"Did you adapt your own techniques from their style," Nezu asks quickly. "or perhaps you learned some kind of combat techniques from the family that adapted to your quirk?"

"No, they practice the sword exclusively, though they train their bodies and quirks heavily to keep up with the techniques," Izuku shrinks a bit in the face of Nezu's eagerness. "I just, Fire Dragon Arts… Heroes name their moves, and I… Well, I based them off All Might and the Breaths, so…"

"All Might?" Yagi perks up, half shocked by the admission. Izuku nods.

"Last year he stopped a villain from attacking me. I like to analyze quirks, and I'd been using my quirk to enhance my muscles for almost two years," Izuku looks at Nezu quickly, then goes quiet. "I didn't… I haven't told anyone. And I'm probably not right, but he… Please don't tell him? He's one of my favorite heroes, and if he learned I tried to copy him…"

"Well," Nezu chuckles behind a paw. "I can't promise that he hasn't picked up on it already, but I certainly won't tell him!"

"Why are you so embarrassed, Midoriya-kun?" Yagi's expression softens as he turns back to Izuku, shifting from a glare to a curious and thoughtful expression.

"All Might doesn't like talking about his quirk." Izuku says quickly, staring at the carpet with a growing blush. "He doesn't want people to know about it. If I'm right, then…"

"Then?"

"…then he might not want to teach me." Izuku mutters miserably.

"I doubt it would come to that," Yagi coughs a bit more heavily. Nezu regards the man from behind a paw, bouncing on the sofa they share, with a glint in his eyes that Izuku can't decipher. "Besides, having an opinion is hardly a crime."

"Seeing him in person made me realize why I was falling behind in my sparring," Izuku says, looking at his hands. His palms are rough and calloused, with heavy knuckles and pink skin littered with tiny white scars. "I think All Might has a quirk that lets him move energy around his body. He must use it for physical power, the way I burn the fire I eat to make myself stronger. Seeing a Texas Smash in person… before that, I was using too much energy in fights."

Both Nezu and Yagi look at him solemnly. There's no pity, no surprise; simply an empty stare from Yagi and an alien glint in Nezu's eye. It makes Izuku uncomfortable, so he finishes his tea and pulls on his mask, looking at the carpet rather than his teachers.

"From what you've told me, you developed your own school of fighting techniques based on your quirk and your experiences," Yagi mutters, smiling despite the clearly pinched expression on his face. "That's a rather incredible feat for a fifteen-year-old boy. You and Bakugō are well on your way to becoming heroes if you've already developed special techniques."

"Thank you, sir," Izuku trails off.

"I'd love to see them myself, one day," Yagi murmurs, glancing at Nezu for a moment before standing up. "Unfortunately, my condition has left me unable to practice much, but perhaps you could demonstrate your methods and I could offer some pointers."

"Yes sir, any time sir," Izuku bows his head quickly, standing up and grabbing his backpack. He slips it on with a grunt and pulls at the straps, adjusting it until he can walk normally.

"Midoriya-kun," Principal Nezu looks at his backpack momentarily before waving at him and offering a wide smile. "It was wonderful to speak with a student with such a powerful drive. I'll be looking forward to your class's performance in the future, especially at the sports festival."

"Th-thank you Principal, sir!" Izuku bows at the waist in response. Nezu chuckles as he hops off the couch.

"I like your shoes!"

"THANK YOU, SIR!" Izuku scampers out of the office quickly, blushing hard enough that steam pours from his hair and a faint crackle burns in his throat.

-0-

-0-

"You really think he's the one, Toshinori?"

"He managed to catch a similarity between his own quirk and One for All at a glance," Toshinori sighs, sinking onto the couch with a heavy frown. "He threw himself in between five students and physical harm, managed to defeat the Zero pointer, and he's developed his own techniques, all at fifteen."

"You say that as if there aren't similar students in both of our first-year classes," Nezu sighs, pouring another cup of tea as he takes the empty sofa. "And you've barely seen anything from the second- and third-year classes, all of whom…"

"You're right, of course," Toshinori glares at his principal. "You remind me of Mirai."

"We know you well, All Might," Nezu smiles. "Disregarding One for All, your heart is your greatest asset and your downfall."

"I may not be as smart as either of you," Toshinori scoffs, wiping a bit of blood from his lip as he reaches for his thermos. "But I'm not blind. I've been looking at the other options you've suggested. Togata is a strong contender, and with One for All he might be the greatest hero right out of UA. There's young Bakugō, young Todoroki, Hadō and Amajiki, even a few of the second-year students, and then there's a chance that a student could come from one of the other hero schools…

"How many quirkless children are there in Japan that I could find and foster? Wouldn't that be the best choice, considering my own experience?" He laughs softly at the question, then trails off searching for words to explain something that is, in and of itself, impossible to explain. It is something so basic and fundamental to him, and it always has been, that he does not have the words for it. Even his teacher had never quite understood the feeling in his heart and the dream flickering in his soul.

But that was the difference, wasn't it? His teacher had trusted him without understanding his dream. She had taken a chance and trusted that he would use her power correctly. Neither of them had known the lengths he would go to.

Nezu, for all his humanity, would never take a risk on one person. On the other hand, Nighteye had already placed his bet: a boy worthy of everything that Nighteye had to give and more. It was strange to think that for all his cunning and his methodology, Nighteye held as much optimism as Toshinori (though it was chained down by his cynicism).

"Neither of you have ever led me astray," Toshinori says. He isn't sure why the words are so cold or why his shoulders feel so heavy. "Trusting you with One for All is a safe decision. It might even guarantee the safety of Japan for the next century."

Nezu looks at him with a sad smile. Toshinori returns it.

"But I must do this myself. My career will mean nothing if I start letting others make my decisions for me." He stands, groaning as his knees pop and his side burns, lugging the massive metal thermos towards the door with him.

"You've saved millions with your smile alone, Toshinori," Nezu murmurs. "You gave the world something to strive for. Nothing could ever make that meaningless."

"Well then," Toshinori grins at the principal over his shoulder. "Make sure to remind them that I was stubborn and selfish."

"You can tell them yourself!" Nezu laughs. "Don't forget you signed a ten-year contract."

Nezu sits quietly in the room for another moment, staring into his tea. He thinks of the students at UA, briefly replaying his conversation with Midoriya before moving on. One student has always been a drop in the river to him, though he understands the potential of a raindrop. The butterfly effect has always fascinated him, and to say that Toshinori and One for All are prime examples of it is to underestimate the significance Yagi wields.

But he does not dwell on any of this. He has paperwork to finish.

-0-

AN: I hope this gives some more clarity to Izuku and Katsuki's relationship.

Sorry for re-hashing the fight from a different perspective; if you've read any of my other stories, you know I like to do that so that you can get all the thoughts and goings on between events. But some people have issues with that, so I'll apologize if it was information you feel you don't need.

I feel like Izuku's bashfulness in this story is based more on the fact that people were afraid of his strength once before, and the people at Aldera junior high being horrible in general. Jealousy over his quirk and his intelligence, teasing for his habits and his mask, years of watching Bakugo blow people up just for cosy-ing up to him... Tanjiro's character helped temper this- Tanjiro always says kindness comes first. Izuku wants to be someone well liked, but he's not quite sure who he is yet. He's careful with his strength.

Feel free to come ask me questions or yell at me!

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