Chapter Five:

Nine-year-old Hisashi Shigaraki shivered under the gaze of the entire Jedi Council. Then he raised his chin so as not to seem intimidated. After all, he might one day be a member of this esteemed group. He'd always known that he was destined for more than poverty and slavery. Someday, he'd sit at the top of the galaxy.

Toshinori Yagi addressed the council. "I promised Master Nana that I would train this boy. It was her deathbed wish. She believed him to be the Chosen One." Toshinori's voice held no real enthusiasm for the task.

Another reason Hisashi needed to make a good impression on the Jedi Council: he might be shortly looking for a new teacher. Toshinori had almost caught Hisashi murdering two of his opponents during the pod race and had been watching him with suspicion ever since. What was the snobby off-worlder's problem? A little sabotage was part of the fun of the races! Hisashi hoped to find a Jedi Master less self-righteous, or failing that, more gullible.

The wizened leader of the council stared down at them critically. "Who's the other boy?"

Kazuki buried his face in his older brother's shirt. A spike of fear ran down their Force bond. Hisashi let soft comfort flow from his end as he patted his baby brother's head. I'll protect you.

Soon, Kazuki's shaking subsided. Hisashi was rewarded with a flood of love and adoration. As always, he reveled in how deeply his little brother worshipped him.

Toshinori said, "Hisashi wouldn't leave Tatooine without his younger brother." There was a note of grudging respect in the statement. "The younger boy, Kazuki, isn't Force-sensitive."

A tiny flare of jealousy came from Kazuki. Hisashi soothed it away again.

"He isn't? Are you sure?" The council leader took a closer look at Kazuki. "The bond between those two…I've never seen anything like it. Force bonds between relatives are supposed to be stronger, but this one runs so deep it's as if their Force signatures are one." His frown deepened. "We've never trained a child so old before, nor one with such deep attachments."

"Oh, what a pity, I suppose I'll have to find some other home for the boy." Toshinori couldn't keep the relief from his voice.

Hisashi scowled, feeling his chance slip from between his fingers. "I'm a fast learner. I'll catch up."

"That's not the issue." The council leader sized him up. "I believe that he's the Chosen One. His presence blazes like a beacon in the Force. How could we not train him? But that Force bond. It must be broken in order for him to become a proper Jedi."

Hisashi's throat turned dry. No. They couldn't. His bond with his adorable little brother was the most precious thing in his life. The only thing he'd had throughout those terrible years in slavery.

Toshinori raised his voice in agitation. "Breaking a Force bond is unimaginable painful! You can't do that to a pair of children!"

"It must be done." The council leader squinted. "Not merely to free the boy from attachments. There's something…wrong about their bond."

"Then let's try to repair the bond. Anything except breaking it," Toshinori argued. He ran a hand through his blond hair. "These children have been through a great deal of suffering, and I can't let you potentially damage their minds."

"I have confidence in my ability to safely break the bond." The Jedi leader stared at Hisashi. "Boy, will you allow me to sever your attachments as the price of joining the Jedi order?"

Hisashi bit his lip. He'd gotten so close to the power he craved. But he couldn't trade Kazuki for anything.

"This isn't a good idea," Toshinori whispered.

Perversely, that made up Hisashi's mind. "I'll do it." As long as he had power, he could use it to keep his brother close, then repair their bond later.

"Are you willing as well?" the leader asked Kazuki.

Kazuki glanced between them. "How much is this going to hurt?"

Some of the other Jedi looked uneasy. If he hesitated, the opportunity might be lost. Hisashi sent a flash of reassurance down their bond. Kazuki's face relaxed. "If big brother says it's okay, then I'll agree too."

The Jedi master dropped to his knees before them and took both of their hands. "This will sting a bit."

A gross understatement. White-hot agony lanced through Hisashi's mind. Even when he'd broken a bone or gotten a desert fever, that pain had been nothing compared to this. It felt like every single one of his nerves was on fire. His blood boiled under his skin. He screamed and screamed.

Distantly, he heard Kazuki screaming, too. He tried to reach out through the Force and lessen his younger brother's pain.

Touching their bond felt like sticking his finger into an open wound. The unimaginable pain tripled.

Hisashi found himself lying on his back staring at the ceiling. He tasted copper dripping down his throat. He'd bitten his own tongue. Though his body still shook, the pain had subsided. Except for that horrible emptiness where his bond with his brother had been. He shuddered, looking around frantically for the younger boy.

Kazuki stood with his palms extended. The carpet in front of him lifted slightly in the air. He paled. "Did I…do that?" The carpet dropped.

"Yes, you did." The council leader nodded. "As I suspected, you're Force-sensitive as well. Your brother was absorbing your abilities through your bond to make himself stronger."

Betrayal in his eyes, Kazuki whirled on Hisashi. "How could you? You know how badly I wanted to develop powers like yours! You watched me spending hours trying to lift a leaf!"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Hisashi cried. He'd sometimes drawn strength from Kazuki's presence, but he'd thought it was emotional support or his need to protect his little brother inspiring him to greater efforts. His head spun. He rolled over and dry retched.

"That's not all! You've been manipulating my emotions! You made me stop being jealous of you just now!" Kazuki glared at him with an emotion worryingly close to loathing.

Hisashi flinched away. His younger brother had always looked at him with adoration. Their minor spats had never provoked anything close to such a contempt-filled gaze. It struck him like a slap to the face. "Isn't lack of jealousy a good thing? I was helping you."

"It might not be an emotion I was proud of, but it was mine to feel. I see the truth now. You've been using our bond to make me do whatever you wanted! I hate you!" Kazuki whirled around and fled the room.

"Wait, you might still be sick." Toshinori chased after the boy.

Hisashi tried to follow. But his legs wouldn't work. He fell back to the floor. Instinctively, he reached for Kazuki through their bond again and was rewarded with another white-hot flash of pain.

He didn't know where his brother was! Kazuki had left his sight, and he didn't know where to find his baby brother or if he was safe. That had never happened before. Ever since their bond had formed at the moment of Kazuki's birth, Hisashi had always been able to use it to feel his brother. Neither of them had ever truly been alone.

Faintly, he heard the Jedi leader speaking, but he couldn't make out the words.

He hadn't known that it would be like this. That it would hurt so much. That the unthinkable would happen—he'd lost his beloved younger brother.

Then and there, Hisashi Shigaraki vowed that he'd never forgive the Jedi for this.

Blazing heat rose off the lava pits of Mustafar. Red clouds covered the dark sky. Kazuki stood ready with his purple lightsaber raised. Cold determination blazed in his eyes.

Hisashi raised his empty hands. "Now, now. I just want to talk." Once again, he sent a jolt of the Dark Side through their broken Force bond. A tiny bit of the bond reknitted itself. For a brief moment, he felt his younger brother's fear and reveled in it. Only for Kazuki to slap him away, breaking the connection.

"Shut up," Kazuki snarled. Sweat dripped down his face as he fought off another mental onslaught. "Do you think I can't feel what you're doing?"

"I'm trying to fix what the Jedi broke." Hisashi's old anger rose up again. His relationship with his brother had never quite been the same ever since that horrible day.

After his anger had subsided, Kazuki had returned, then Hisashi had repeated that he'd never meant to steal his little brother's Force powers and asked for forgiveness. Kazuki had granted it. But he'd been suspicious after that. He'd noticed when Hisashi lied or hurt people in entirely necessary ways. Worse, he'd no longer allowed his older brother to guide him and keep him safe. Hisashi knew that repairing their bond would fix everything. But no matter how many times he'd tried, Kazuki had always met him with violent rejection. Their once-inseparable relationship had taken years to slowly crumble away, leading to the present confrontation.

"You crazy bastard," Kazuki hissed. "You murdered Inko trying to infect her with your power, yet you expect me to be your next guinea pig? The Dark Side has rotted your brain."

Rage made Hisashi's vision go white. How dare Kazuki bring that up? He'd been trying to save Inko's life! Even now, he believed she would have still died in childbirth if he'd done nothing, because the Force had told him so.

It had taken years of research and countless human experiments for Hisashi to obtain the perfect ideal of Sith immortality. He'd shared his gift with Inko after she'd started a difficult labor, trying to save both her and their son. But she'd only weakened faster, her hair falling out and her skin rotting. Too late, he'd realized that only another Force-sensitive could survive the process. If only he'd researched how to transfer midi-chlorians! He'd still been trying to revive Inko when that horrible fool Toshinori had attacked him. He blamed the sanctimonious Jedi master for his beloved's death and the stillbirth of their son.

Kazuki lunged. Hisashi drew his lightsaber to block the blow.

Though he tried one last time to reach out through their former bond, his younger brother retaliated with a blast of power jabbing straight into the mental wound. It was all he could do not to cry out.

So be it. He had no choice but to subdue Kazuki and drag him back to his ship. Then he could repair the Force bond at his leisure. He'd be able to drain away those dangerous powers and coax his younger brother's mind, just like the old days.

After losing his wife and child, Hisashi couldn't bear to let go of his only remaining family member.

Hisashi stalked after his son around the carbon freezing chamber. Red lights and steam rose from the pit, casting shadows across the dark room.

Izuku must be hiding behind one of the pillars. The teenager had a gift for masking his presence. Hisashi gave up on finding him with the Force, and instead sent a blast of air through the room.

The pillars broke and fell. Izuku sprang free of the rubble, his eyes wide and his lightsaber igniting.

"Hello, little one." Hisashi smirked. "Kazuki never told you what happened to your father."

"Yes, he did, Dad," Izuku said.

"No, I am—" Hisashi stopped. "What?"

Izuku snorted. "Don't kid yourself, sperm donor. Uncle Kazuki wouldn't shut up about all your childhood stories. To hear him tell it, he had to save your life on a weekly basis. You two sure got into a lot of trouble, didn't you?"

"Excuse me? That was entirely me bailing out his stupid ass—" Hisashi stopped, realizing he'd gotten off-topic. "If you know I'm your father, why are you fighting me? Shouldn't you join me so we can rule the galaxy together?"

Izuku stared at him like he'd gone insane. "You blew up Tatooine!"

"Yeah, I always hated that worthless sand heap. So what of it?"

"I'm not going to join a mass murderer who destroys planets! I'll stop you and save the galaxy!"

Hisashi sighed. Why did his entire family have to be infected with heroic ideals? Even Inko had tried to convince him not to overthrow democracy before the very end. It was so difficult, being the only sane one in the family. Fortunately, he had a solution.

As he'd planned from the moment he'd revealed his true identity to his son, Hisashi reached out through their shared blood connection. The similarity of their powers made the Force hum and sing. He started to form a Force bond.

Only to be abruptly knocked out of his son's mind.

Hisashi reeled backward. The backlash stung. "How…?"

"Uncle Kazuki also told me all about how you used your bond to control and manipulate him." Izuku's eyes were as hard as emeralds. "He taught me the technique he developed to keep you out of his mind."

Fury blazed through Hisashi, magnifying his powers. How dare Kazuki keep his son from him? Still defying him even from the grave? "If Kazuki had accepted my Force bond, he'd still be alive! I would have known whenever he was in danger and stopped him from ever going on that suicidal mission to steal the Death Star schematics. The bond will allow me to protect you. It will make you immortal, like me."

Hisashi removed his mask. His face hadn't aged a day since his son had been born. He pressed his own wrist against his lightsaber. The flesh sizzled and burned. Izuku gasped.

But as Hisashi raised his arm, his injury had completely healed in seconds. "Behold the true power of the Dark Side! Nothing can kill me. If only you'll open your mind to my power, then you'll come to see my perspective."

Izuku stepped backward. "You don't get it. I don't want to see your perspective. I don't want to turn to the Dark Side. I don't even have any interest in immortality!" His voice blazed with a conviction so very similar to his mother's. "I want to free the galaxy from your tyranny."

Seeing the shadow of Inko in her son's eyes, Hisashi knew he wouldn't win this fight with words. Then he would have to confine his child until he could find a way to turn him to the Dark Side.

"The Rebels are cruel, to send a mere boy against me." Hisashi raised his lightsaber.

Izuku blocked his strike. "Save the monologuing for after you win."

They fought across the dark platform. Izuku's talent was unmistakable even at his young age, but he lacked experience. Hisashi lured him to the correct spot. Then he slashed his lightsaber into the floor, sending Izuku falling into the carbon-freeze chamber.

As steam rose up, he sighed. "I'm sorry, little one. I lost your mother and uncle. I can't lose you, too."

"I told you to save the speeches for after you won." Izuku released his grip on the cables overhead and dropped down.

In spite of himself, Hisashi smiled. "Not bad, young Jedi."

They both readied their lightsabers. This would be it. The final showdown.

Then Prince Katsuki smashed into the side of the building with his ship.

Wind ripped through the room. Hisashi summoned all his power to stop himself from being sucked outside.

Tossing out a rope, Katsuki screamed, "You useless bastard, grab on!"

"Thanks, Kacchan! So glad to see you escaped!" Holding onto the rope, Izuku flew out of the building and vanished among the gaseous clouds.

Hisashi dropped to his knees, screaming, "Nooooooooooooooo!"

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Alternative Dialogue

Izuku: You blew up Tatooine! That was my home planet!

Hisashi: By the Force, I'm so sorry.

Izuku: You…are?

Hisashi: Sorry to learn that you were raised on that trashy dust ball! What was Kazuki thinking? If he was still alive, I'd strangle him myself. I wish I could destroy Tatooine again to avenge the insult of my precious son spending even one moment there.

Izuku: Whelp, that's more like the level of crazy I've come to expect from you.

#Kazuki died on Tatooine giving the Death Star schematics to Izuku #Then Hisashi blew up the planet in revenge #Fun fact: he narrowly missed blowing up Izuku, too #He does not know this

#

Omake: Like Younger Siblings, Childhood Friends are Also Good at Putting You in Your Place

Izuku: Thanks for the rescue, Kacchan.

Katsuki: That should be "His Royal Highness" to you.

Izuku: His Royal Kacchan.

Katsuki: Stop, that's even worse.

#Izuku has no older siblings to give a hard time #So he must use the sass his late uncle taught him on someone #Unfortunately for Katsuki the nickname "His Royal Kacchan" rapidly catches on among the Rebel Alliance

#

Omake: Nana Versus Qui-Gon

Qui-Gon: This boy is the Chosen One and I'm going to train him.

Nana: This boy is the Chosen One and I'm going to train him—wait. Are you torturing droids? Why would you do such a thing?

Hisashi: (Looks up from the screaming droid he's dissecting.) I needed a spare part for the weapon I'm building.

Nana: Okay, I'm having second thoughts about making you my padawan. How about after we get back to Coruscant, I'll put you in therapy?

Hisashi: How about I sabotage your lightsaber so you die during the final battle?

#

Omake: The Jedi Kinda Had It Coming

Kazuki: Am I the only one who's noticed that my brother has turned into a Sith? Shouldn't we…do something about that?

Jedi: Don't be ridiculous. Your brother is the ideal example of a Jedi.

Kazuki: His eyes are yellow.

Jedi: Eye color doesn't make someone evil! Shame on you!

Kazuki: But they didn't used to be that color.

Jedi: Human eye colors can change as they age.

Kazuki: I think you're referring to babies? The yellow eyes aren't the real problem. Have you noticed the huge number of people he's murdered?

Jedi: Killing enemies on the battlefield isn't murder.

Kazuki: I wasn't even referring to that, I was talking about all the Jedi and political opponents who've gone "missing" around him. But now that you mention it, don't you think it's funny how after three years of war, every single Jedi has needed counseling sessions except him? Even though he has more confirmed kills than the rest of us combined, he's never once showed the slightest sign of mental strain. No matter how many of his fellow Jedi or clone soldiers have died, he's never once shed a single tear.

Jedi: It's called being free of attachments.

Kazuki: It's called being a sociopath, and it's not normally considered a good thing.

Jedi: You're just jealous of your perfect older brother. Maybe you should work on yourself. All your lobbying about freeing our clone soldiers shows that you suffer from excessive attachments and can't see the bigger picture. You also have anger management issues.

Years Later:

Kazuki: The Jedi hadn't fought a Sith in millennium and it showed. They missed many clues with my brother. So very many clues. I'm not saying the Jedi had it coming, but there was some natural selection going on. Don't even get me started on their deeply unhealthy attitudes toward love and other normal emotions.

Izuku: Whoa, I'm so glad you told me all of this instead of letting me mindlessly idolize the Jedi despite their many flaws!

#

Omake: Kazuki's Revenge

Kazuki: And that's the story of the hundred and fiftieth time I saved Hisashi's life.

Izuku: My deranged dad does not come across as very competent in your stories. Kinda makes me wonder how he managed to conquer the galaxy. Unless you're exaggerating to make yourself look good.

Kazuki: Nonsense, every word is a completely accurate documentary. My brother probably turned to the Dark Side because he was jealous of me.

#In all fairness, Kazuki's stories are grounded in real events #He just kept his own cool moments and edited out all the times his big brother had to save him in return #Truth from a certain point of view! #Obi-Wan would be proud

Author's Note:

Given that the First is quirkless in canon it would make sense for him not to be Force-sensitive. But it's way more fun for Kazuki to be a Jedi! My compromise: the young First had no Force powers because his brother suppressed and consumed them. Hisashi initially did this by accident, but later he tries to force a new bond between them so he can go back to controlling his little brother. Kazuki's technique to block Force bonds serves as the parallel to One for All in this chapter, since it's something he passes along to Izuku to allow him for fight against his father.

I suspect the Jedi would have favored Hisashi far more than the First. Hisashi was stronger in the Force, he lacked attachments (on account of being evil), and he was an excellent actor. He skillfully played the part of a perfect Jedi even though he was plotting against them from the beginning. On the other hand, the First was emotional, easily angered by injustice, got attached to everything in sight, and tried to solve all his problems by charging in with his lightsaber.

In addition, Kazuki kept lobbying for the Jedi to do more to stop slavery and free the clone soldiers. He'd return from his missions with a ship full of escaped slaves and increasingly elaborate stories about how he had totally not noticed any of them sneaking onboard. He drove the Jedi Council—and his older brother—insane. The Jedi believed Kazuki was more likely to turn to the Dark Side, but boy were they wrong. Kazuki is still bitter that none of the Jedi (except Toshinori) would believe him when his brother obviously went evil.

Toshinori didn't last for long as Hisashi's teacher. He tried, but the two of them were never able to connect. It came as a relief for him when Hisashi found a Jedi Master he liked more (aka someone more easily deceived). Toshinori took on Kazuki as his padawan shortly afterward, so unfortunately the two destined enemies kept having to suffer each other's presence.

Also, Toshinori was the one who rescued Kazuki after he lost the fight on Mustafar, further cementing Hisashi's grudge against him.